Collared
by PsychedelicFlame
Summary: Jade has been used as a weapon for as long as she can remember by a cruel master.  When the Varia obtain her for their own purposes, will she finally be freed of her nightmare?  I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1: Rescued

A vicious yank on the collar around her throat caused her to choke, but she looked up obediently. The man towering over her had cold blue eyes that caused her to shrink back in fear. "Make sure not to mess up this time, Volpe" his crisp voice cut through her.

She flinched, remembering the punishment she had received the last time she had failed. He dragged her over to the only window in the room and opened it. Outside, there were a few surrounded men dressed in black fighting the forces of the mansion they were in. He pointed at them and said, "Erase them."

She stared at the men and concentrated. Slowly in her vision, a black blur surrounded the men. As she was about to detonate it, one of the men looked up and saw her. He glared at her and a glimpse of his silver eyes caused her to lose her concentration. Explosions went off all around the intruding men, missing them, but decimating their own ranks.

The girl gasped as her hair was grabbed and she was thrown against the wall. "My, my, messing up a task so simple? I'm beginning to think you enjoy being punished."

He kicked her, before leaving the room. The lock clicked in place behind him. She crawled over to the window and looked out. The men were already gone, leaving only dead bodies behind. A cold breeze swept in and shivering, she closed the window, before curling up into a ball in a corner.

A loud explosion from outside her room caused her to jerk up and attempt to make herself look smaller. There were shouts, gunfire, and the sounds of people dying; before the door was broken down with a loud crash. In its place stood a small baby. It was wearing an all black outfit with a hood that covered its eyes. On each cheek, there was a small upside down purple triangle. A yellow snake eating its own tail was in on top of the baby's head. Perhaps the most surprising thing was that the baby was floating in midair.

"Muu, this better be worth what I'm being paid" it spoke.

The baby floated over to where she was huddled in the corner and said, "Girl, come with me."

She shook her head frantically, eyes wide with fear. If that man discovered she had left the room without his permission, she would be severely punished. The baby sighed, "Yare yare, how troublesome. Why won't you go?"

"I-"the girl cleared her throat, rusty from disuse, "I'm not allowed to leave."

"Did this family make that rule?"

"_He_ did."

If she could have seen all of the baby's face, she would have imagined that it had furrowed in displeasure. As it was, it said, "Muu, you don't need to listen to their rules anymore. We, the Varia, are taking you-" He was interrupted when a tall silver-haired man walked in.

"VOOIIII Mammon what's taking so long?"

At the loud voice, the girl cringed even more. "Muu Squalo, you scared her. I better not lose any money because of this."

The man ignored him and picking the girl up, slung her over his shoulders. Her eyes closed in fear and she stayed perfectly still. As he reached the main doors of the mansion however, she suddenly started writhing. Squalo yelled, "Stupid girl! Stop struggling!"

He stepped outside the mansion and a shriek escaped her. She grabbed her throat and started coughing violently. He dropped her immediately, "What the hell is wrong with you, bitch?"

The girl was coughing too hard to answer him. Sensing a large killing intent behind him, Squalo whirled around with his sword at the ready. A man calmly walked out, clapping, "My, my. You managed to get yourself captured so easily? Well, normally I would have left you to rot, but unfortunately, I have need of your powers."

He stepped forward to retrieve the girl causing Squalo to snarl. "Oi, the girl's ours now, or would you like to be cut into shreds?"

The man's mouth curved upward in what should've been a smile, but instead turned into one of the most frightening expressions the swordsman had ever witnessed, "Ah, you'll have to excuse me. I need to administer the antidote to her before she dies."

The man bent down and injected a needle into her arm. The girl stopped coughing and went limp. He reached forward to pick her up and found Squalo's sword at his neck. "You might not want to do that. After all the bitch belongs to me."

"Vooiiii just try laying a hand on her!"

The man seemed to think for awhile before responding, "Very well. I will allow you to take her for a few years. As she is now, she is of no use to me. I will come to retrieve her when I need her."

He disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving the terrified girl with two assassins. Mammon frowned, "Yare, yare, this could be troublesome. He didn't take the collar off her. Well, we might as well take her back."

* * *

><p>They took the girl to where the rest of the Varia was waiting for them. "Oi, what's your name?" Squalo asked as they were walking.<p>

"-pe" the girl muttered.

"Speak up! If you're gonna be in the Varia, be proud!"

"Volpe" the girl said, her voice slightly louder than before.

"Fox? Who the fuck told you that? That's not a name."

"Good grief, why don't you give her a new name then Squalo?" Mammon said.

"Voi, don't ask me. I don't know shit about girl names."

"How about Jade then? Your eyes are a green similar to jade I've seen."

The girl stared at the baby in awe and nodded. "All right then. You're Jade. I'm Mammon, the illusion user in the Varia. That's Squalo, swordsman. We're part of the Varia, an assassination group for the Vongola Family."

The baby sighed, "Now look at what you've done. I said I don't do anything for money and here I am giving information out freely."

The girl apologized, her hands suddenly grasping the bottom of the baby's outfit urgently. She remained like that until they reached the Varia, where he gently pried his clothes out of her grasp. Lussuria, being the resident mother hen, took one look at her and decided firmly that he would take charge of the girl. "Starting with a bath and lots of food" he stated.

* * *

><p>The girl looked at herself in the mirror for the first time in awe. She had a small oval face framed by long strands of brown hair. The hair went down to her back and after a thorough wash, was now sleek and shiny. At first glance, she had dark green eyes, but when she looked closer, there was a thin outline of yellow around the pupil. Having been locked up inside for as long as she could remember, her skin was pale but covered with multiple scars from her punishments.<p>

Feeling cleaner and warmer than she could remember, she was now dressed in a simple purple shirt with black stripes and black jeans. Although they belonged to Belphegor, a boy of the same age as her, they were still big on her underweight frame. She clutched the bottom of the shirt nervously as she followed Lussuria out of the bathroom. Immediately, she was whisked off to a hair salon. She hid behind the flamboyant man she had come with.

As the giggling ladies fawned over the girl, she sat in the chair rigidly. Although initially scared of the scissors that they had pulled out, after Lussuria had reassured her, she sat in the chair obediently. The ladies snipped away at her hair, long locks of it gathering on the floor around her. When they stepped back and allowed her to look in the mirror, her hair reached her shoulders, the ends cut wispily to give her an airy feeling. Her bangs were cut straight above her eyes, emphasizing the green in her eyes. All in all, it made her look like a pretty eight-year old girl and not the monster she was.

Lussuria was giddy by the time they got back to the mansion. He had picked the cutest outfits for the girl and was absolutely delighted when she made no protest at wearing them. He led the girl into the dining room where the rest of the Varia was began showing her off, "Look Squ-chan! Isn't she just adorable! Look at those pretty eyes and that dress looks so cute on her! Bel don't you think she's cute?"

Bel stared at the girl. She looked totally different from the terrified stray she had been when they had taken her. She looked like any other normal eight-year old girl. He sniffed in disdain, "I don't want to be associated with a peasant because I'm a prince."

Lussuria pouted and dragged the girl over to the boy, "Are you sure Bel-chan? Look at how adorable she is."

The girl clumsily bowed to the boy, and quietly said, "I'm Jade. It's nice to meet you."

She was partially speaking the truth. The boy had blonde hair that covered his eyes and a shiny tiara situated on his head. He was wearing an outfit identical to the one she had worn earlier before receiving all the new clothes. While the boy looked innocent enough, she knew that in the world she was in, there were no innocents. This boy had most likely killed many people. So while it was good to meet him, she was also slightly scared of the boy.

Bel's eyes narrowed and he lunged out of his seat at the girl. His hands went around her throat and he pulled out a knife. "Oi, trash! What the fuck are you doing?" Squalo yelled.

The girl stared wide-eyed at the knife, unmoving. "I'm Belphegor. Prince the Ripper. And it is not nice to meet you. Don't forget that."

He rammed the knife a hairsbreadth away from her head before getting off her and calmly resuming his dinner. The girl lay on the ground, her eyes unblinking. Lussuria rushed over to the girl, "Darling, are you okay? I'm so sorry! I don't know why Bel-chan would do such a thing!"

The girl didn't make a noise as she got up, but her hands were trembling again. She sat through the rest of dinner quietly. Just as she clumsily scooped up the last of the food, Bel stood up, his chair scraping back loudly. "Why is this girl here? She doesn't look like she can kill anything to me!"

He whirled around and left the room. As the door slammed shut, a large intimidating man sitting on a fancy chair spoke up for the first time, "Oi, trash. No more shopping shit. She starts working tomorrow. The other scum will brief you."

Lussuria pouted and was about to protest at the no shopping decree but another man with odd facial hair and piercings spoke up, "Are you questioning Boss?"

With a sigh, Lussuria gave up and resumed eating.

* * *

><p>After a long and emotionally taxing day, Jade settled in her new bed sleepily. The bed was softer than anything she had felt before, and she was warm, huddled underneath the covers. As she drifted off to sleep, a sudden face popped into her mind. Blonde hair and a tiara. Her eyes shot open and she curled into a ball in fear. Belphegor. Prince the Ripper. She was scared of the boy. Not because of his earlier attack. She was used to violence. The boy's sneer had struck a nerve deep in her. This new emotion made her uncomfortable more so than his attacks.<p>

The enormity of the place scared her. The number of people scared her. She was new to so many things that seemed so commonplace for the other residents. In the unfamiliar place, her fears seemed bigger than before. The collar around her neck reminded her that nothing had changed. That she was still being used for her power. And nestled in the nice warm bed, tears began sliding down her face. She pressed her face into the pillow to stifle her cries. Like this, she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>A cry left the girl's lips as she was shoved out of the way by an angry blonde. "That was supposed to be my mission" he hissed in her face, before stalking out.<p>

She shrank back, an apology on her lips despite not knowing what she had done wrong; but the boy had left before she could speak a word.

"Jade darling. Can you read and write? I need to know for future reference." Lussuria asked.

She nodded, "He taught me. He said that in the future I would have to do stuff for him."

Mammon commented, "Thank goodness. Now no time will be wasted teaching you."

"Voii! Hurry up and get out!"

She was quickly shepherded out of the room. The mission she was sent on was simple. They were to take out a group of poachers that were intruding on Vongola land. Lussuria would lure them into a group, Mammon would cast the illusion to allow the Muay Thai expert to get away, and then Jade would use her power to finish the men off.

The fact that the mission was simple didn't change the fact that Jade was still scared. If she failed, what would happen? Would she be beaten like before? She hid in the bushes, waiting for Mammon's signal. As soon as it was given, she focused. The black miasma appeared, surrounding the men. And then it exploded. Limbs flew everywhere. Blood splattered on the ground.

She stared in horror at the scene in front of her. Before, she had always been kept in the room, too far away to witness the results of her power. Although she had been told to get rid of certain people, she had no real comprehension of the meaning of death. Now, only a few feet away from a first-hand demonstration of what it was, she couldn't prevent the bile from rising to her lips. She turned and threw up. She continued to empty the contents of her stomach until there was nothing left.

Mammon sighed, "Yare yare, how troublesome. It's not the first time you've killed. Why react now?"

The girl was shaking so hard she couldn't respond. So doing what he would've done in his adult form, he reached forward and pulled her into a hug. Granted it was a rather awkward hug, due to his current size. But still, with her head tucked under his chin, he waited for the girl to stop shaking.

When Lussuria found them, Jade was once more clutching the end of Mammon's cloak. The baby made no complaints.

* * *

><p>There was a scream from the kitchen. "Bel-sama stop it! You're hurting her!"<p>

The boy paid no heed to the servant's yells, eyes focused on the girl below him. He clutched the kitchen knife in his hand and brought it down on her. She screamed again and tried to pull away, but the knife went straight into her arm. At the pain, the girl shut down. Her eyes became blank and she stopped moving. She had learned early on from a much crueler master that struggling would only invite more pain.

The boy, however, only became more enraged. He plunged the knife repeatedly into her arm, yelling in her face, "Why won't you react! I want to hear you scream! _Scream_!"

A tentacle wrapped around the boy, pulling him back. He struggled violently, but the illusion was strong. By this time, servants and assassins alike had gathered to watch. As the crowd slowly dispersed, Jade seemed to come back to life. She clutched her bleeding arm and watched dully as the wounds healed on their own, leaving new scars.

"Voi, what the fuck?"

"Someone needs to teach her self defense techniques. If this keeps up, Bel could murder her in her sleep and she wouldn't be able to do a thing."

"Who the hell would you suggest be the teacher?"

They stared at the swordsman.

* * *

><p>And that was how an hour later; Jade found herself running laps around the Varia mansion. Or rather, attempting to. Having been stuck in a room all her life, she wasn't very athletic, and she ran out of breath very quickly. So Squalo, being the smart-thinking instructor he was, decided to chase her around with his sword. Driven by fear and adrenaline, Jade managed to run around the mansion 2 times before collapsing, her lungs heaving. The man had no intentions of letting her stop however, choosing instead to drag her to her feet and force her to continue running, albeit at a very slow pace.<p>

Three hours later, after completing the 20 laps required of her, she could barely remember how to breathe and her feet felt like they were on fire. Yet Squalo, grabbed her and took her to the training rooms.

"VOI Xanxus have you seen the girl?" Squalo burst into the man's room loudly.

Xanxus glared at him from his chair and immediately threw a glass of wine at his head, "Why the fuck would that trash be here, scum?"

Squalo grunted and left. Jade crawled out from under the bed and bowed clumsily to the man before leaving quietly. Oddly enough, although the man was violent, she wasn't afraid of him. Earlier, she had ran into his room by accident and had dived under the bed. He hadn't questioned her, rather perplexed by her behavior.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

As promised, I started another story! I hope it meets everyone's expectations! If you haven't already, please also read my other story Sonic Life.

I have chapter 2 almost finished but it probably won't be posted until at least Saturday.

Please read and review~


	2. Chapter 2: A New Life

After several months of Squalo's harsh training, Jade had progressed enough for the swordsman to be satisfied that she could take care of herself. And yet, here he was, staring at two eight-year old kids. The boy was on top of the girl once more, knife held poised above her. But the girl didn't struggle. Squalo strode over, yelling, "VOOIIII The fuck is your problem, idiot?"

He grabbed the boy and lifted him off the girl, tossing him to the side. Then he faced the girl, "I taught you for four fucking months so that this wouldn't happen again, you damn lousy brat! Why the hell didn't you fight back?"

In hushed tones, she replied, "I'm not supposed to fight back."

"Who the fuck taught you that?"

Before she could respond, he cut her off, "Never mind! If it wasn't that asshole, who else could it have been? Listen, when you're attacked, you're supposed to fight back and protect yourself! No one else in this world will fight for you, so you do it yourself. And another thing, anything that man taught you is useless. Forget him."

But whatever the bastard had done clearly wouldn't be reversed so easily. Although the girl did try resisting a little when Bel attacked her, she would always end up shutting down, allowing the boy to scar her. Finally, getting sick of seeing the girl being bullied, Mammon took her aside. "Muu, you're getting hurt so often. That doesn't help you on missions. If I lose money because of you, what will you do?"

The girl was holding the end of Mammon's outfit as always and she stiffened at the thought of causing the baby, who she thought of as her guardian, trouble. "Yare yare, I'll cast an illusion so that the collar won't be there anymore. You can live your life without fear of that man. So go do what you need to do and teach Bel a lesson."

With the collar gone, Jade seemed much more like an assassin and less like a little girl who was scared of everything. That night at dinner when Bel tried kicking her chair over, she jumped up. Surprised at the change, the boy pulled out a few knives and threw them at her. She dodged and then using what Squalo had taught her, she lunged forward and chopped at Bel's neck. He dodged, but she managed to hit him in the shoulder, disabling the use of one of his arms. She grabbed a knife that had fallen on the floor and slashed at him.

The blade barely nicked his face, but the blood that seeped out was enough to send him insane. He drew his knives and flung them at her. She grabbed them out of midair, but yelped when he pulled the wires connected to them. She was dragged forward and landed in front of him. He drew a knife and prepared to slit her throat. Her eyes closed in fear and a black haze appeared around the boy.

Squalo's eyes widened, recognizing the activation of the girl's power, and lunged forward, shouting, "Voi! Don't do it! You're too close!"

He grabbed Bel and quickly knocked him out. Jade tried stopping her attack, but once activated, it had to be used. She quickly changed the focus to a corner of the room, where the powerful explosion created a hole in the wall.

All the while, Xanxus watched. He had been keeping an eye on the girl, mainly because she was a powerful weapon that could be used to his advantage in a battle, but also because this innocent looking eight-year old girl seemed so uncorrupted. In the dark, blood-filled mafia world, it hardly seemed possible for a girl to be so pure, despite the horrors she must have already seen. Yet through it all, she remained unchanged. She brushed off the nightmares that would have plagued most innocents.

The adults of the Varia all agreed that Jade should stay away from Bel for awhile, but the girl found herself drawn to his room. She peeped in, taking in the royal setting. The boy was buried under a mound of blankets in the middle of the large canopied bed. She slipped into the room quietly and approached the boy. In her hand, she was holding a plate of food. Since he had been knocked out because of her, she thought the least she could do was bring him some dinner.

As she reached over to place the dish on his bedside dresser, the boy's hand grabbed onto her arm. She squeaked and froze. But it seemed that the boy was still asleep. She set the food down gently, carefully pried his hand open and replacing it under his sheets, muttered a quiet sorry and left hastily.

Underneath the sheets, Bel's hand balled up into a fist. He hated the girl. Hated her for her innocence, her feminine appearance, how no matter how he looked at it, she didn't seem like the type of person to be in the mafia. The girl was too normal to be a part of the assassin's world. All assassins should be as bloodthirsty and as crazy as him. They should all naturally want to kill everyone in their sight, should enjoy the blood that stained their clothing daily. But this girl, she came back spotless each time. She practically radiated innocence. The idea that a virtuous little girl like her, who was the same age as him, had been dragged into this bloody world, made him want to vomit.

He wanted to stain her and leave a mark, to make her fit into the violent world. But no matter what he did to her, she brushed it off. She retained her purity and it infuriated him.

* * *

><p>"The fucker won't leave her alone. Every time I turn my back, he's there, trying to pick a fight." Squalo growled.<p>

"As if she doesn't have enough scars already. She's been tortured on a daily basis by that man since as long as she can remember." Mammon said.

"Voi, what did she tell you?"

"Not much. Occasionally she has a nightmare where she's still in that room. When that happens, she'll come to my room. All she really says is that the man used to beat her all the time."

"Shit" Squalo cursed, "I've already taught her as much as possible. She can only do so much as an eight-year old. But that damn murderous prince keeps on attacking her."

"Do either of you know why Bel-chan tries to attack her?" Lussuria asked, concern evident in his voice.

"The fucker won't say a word!"

"Mou, why does he keep trying to attack my darling? She's so cute and she's starting to open up to me. The other day, we were shopping and she said she liked one of the dresses I picked out for her! It was sooo cute!"

"Oi, Lussuria. No one wants to hear your gay-ass love for shopping!"

"Squ! Just because you're jealous that Jade-chan spends more time with me!"

"Who's going to talk to Bel?" Mammon asked, stopping the swordsman before he could start breaking things.

Bel listened in disbelief. He had seen the scars on the girl, but he hadn't known that that man had been the cause. She had been beaten even before she had met him? And had still remained that innocent? Was that even possible? In that case, it was practically a miracle. He would have to rethink trying to make her leave the mafia world.

Over the next month, Bel slowly stopped attacking Jade, as though now that the girl was able to protect herself, he had lost interest. Squalo thought he had done well in his talk, which in actuality contained a lot of curse words and sword waving and little talk. But in reality, Bel had simply decided that he wanted to protect the one light in the dark world they lived in.

* * *

><p>Jade ran into Xanxus's room and dived under his bed, her muscles aching. Squalo had gone too far again today. She waited until the swordsman's angry footsteps had faded away and then peeked out from under the bed. Xanxus was staring at her, an amused expression on his face. "Oi trash, why do you always hide in here?" he asked, questioning her for the first time since she had made a habit of hiding in the boss's room.<p>

"Squalo-nii never looks in here" she explained.

Xanxus raised an eyebrow, "You call that trash your older brother?"

"Can I call you Xanxus-nii-sama too?"

At the innocent question, Xanxus threw his head back and started laughing. The girl was definitely amusing. "Sure brat. You can call me that. Next time that trash overworks you, come here. I'll get Levi to get you a drink or something."

Her eyes widened, "Xanxus-nii-sama, I can't drink alcohol yet. I'm not of age."

"I'll get some juice for you. Now get out of here."

She bowed respectfully and then left. Behind her, Xanxus was still chuckling.

The next time she ended up in his room, Xanxus kept his promise and ordered Levi to get the girl some juice. Proud to be of use to his beloved boss, the man found the best juice available, only to be perplexed as the man gave it to the young girl. He eyed her warily, wondering what she had done to get Xanxus's favor. She sipped at her juice and as the rich tangy flavor invaded her taste buds, she smiled broadly and thanked him.

Levi was a bit surprised. Rarely did anyone appreciate what he did. The boss ignored him and the others ridiculed him more often than not. For the girl to so genuinely thank him with no ulterior motive was something new. Plus the boss obviously approved of her. There was nothing else Levi needed to know.

* * *

><p>Jade hid in the bushes, waiting for her signal. From her position she could see Bel flinging his knives and nailing men easily. Squalo's sword was a blur as he cut a path through the enemy. Lussuria was taunting the enemy, drawing them in closer to the agreed point. As the last man was drawn in, she activated her power and concentrated on them. She could see the deaths of the men in her mind's eye. She blinked and they exploded. Thinking the job was done, she stood up, but froze when Squalo yelled, "Don't move!"<p>

She heard rather than saw the problem. Somewhere near her right, there was a rustle. She glanced over and saw a glint of metal. A split second later when her brain recognized the danger, she ducked. The knife that came flying over her missed by a millimeter. She whipped out her baton and held it in front of her defensively.

When deciding what weapon to give her, Squalo had refused to hand her anything that would kill easily, still stuck in the mindset that she was an innocent little girl. He had found the baton by accident and decided that it would be enough to defend herself with.

A man sprang out of the bushes, knives at the ready. She ducked the first couple that he threw at her and darted towards him as he was undefended. The baton flicked forward at a high speed to crash into his arm. The impact of the blow immediately broke his arm. The man cursed and pulled out another knife, this time longer. He slashed at her, but she blocked with her own weapon. Using the hand-to-hand combat Lussuria had shown her, she twirled so that her back was facing him and then rammed her elbow into his gut. He collapsed on the ground and her baton reached out to smack him unconscious.

Gasping from her adrenaline high, she looked up to see the rest of the Varia taking care of the rest of the unseen attackers. She was about to join them when a hand pulled her back. She whirled around with her baton, but froze at seeing Bel. The boy was covered head to toe in blood, but he grasped her arm firmly, not allowing her to join the rest of the fight. Although she couldn't see his eyes behind his long bangs, she sensed that is was important to him that she stay away from the main fighting. She relented, lowering her baton and relaxing her body.

He immediately let go and ran back to join the fight again. Her eyes followed him and she found herself mesmerized by his graceful attacks. She was so busy watching him that she didn't notice a man running towards her. He had her at gunpoint before she could react. The others were all busy with their own opponents. She tried building up enough energy to activate her power, but after using it on such a large group earlier, her powers were worn out. She watched helplessly as the man's finger pulled the trigger.

The bullet raced towards her faster than she could move out of the way. She managed to avoid the heart, but it tore through her side. The pain was unlike anything she had felt before. Whips and knives were nothing compared to the painful piece of lead buried in her side. Her body couldn't even heal itself like normal due to the bullet that was still in her. She didn't realize she was screaming until a knife buried itself in the man's throat. Only then did she notice that the rest of the Varia had dispatched the other enemies and were rushing towards her. The last thing she saw was a blur of blonde before she fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>Jade floated in and out of consciousness during her stay at the hospital. After removing the bullet, her body had slowly healed itself and all that remained of the bullet wound was a scar, but the amount of blood loss had been immense. Her body had never dealt with such a large amount before and it had spiraled into shock. As she blinked her eyes open wearily, she saw a pair of cool grey eyes peeking out from behind a thick mass of blonde. "Belphegor?" she thought wearily, before her eyes shut again.<p>

_In her dream, she was in a large white room. There were men in white coats hovering around a table in the middle of the room. She curiously looked at what they were surrounding. She gasped. It was her. The younger version of her screamed as the men inserted something in a tube connected to her arm. _

_The scene faded and Jade found herself on a dock in front of a large body of water. Squalo was standing next to her. "Squalo-nii!" she exclaimed happily. _

_The man didn't answer. She turned to look at him and screamed. The swordsman's face had been burnt off. He wobbled and then fell into the ocean, the long silver hair disappearing into the dark abyss._

_This time Jade was in the Varia mansion. She walked to the kitchen almost surreally, not really understanding what was happening. She opened the door just as Bel was impaled in the neck by a series of knives. A scream flew to her throat but was stopped when Xanxus aimed a gun at her. The fiery blast sped towards her but she couldn't move. Suddenly Levi was in front of her, burnt to a crisp. Lussuria aimed for a pressure point on the boss and knocked him out before breaking his neck. He then attempted to capture Mammon, but the baby floated out of reach. Tentacles rose out of the ground to restrain the Muay Thai expert, but as the man continued to struggle, he ended up strangling himself. Jade watched all this in silence, scared beyond all belief. Mammon then turned to the girl. "Remember who you belong to or this will be their fate" he spoke before he exploded into a thousand wispy pieces of cloth. _

* * *

><p>"When will she wake up doctor?" Lussuria asked anxiously.<p>

"Ideally, she should wake up sometime today. The young lady should be fine if she rests. Just make sure she doesn't move around and reopen the wound."

Jade shrieked and jolted up. Lussuria ran forward to restrain the girl so that she wouldn't over exert herself, but upon seeing the man, Jade covered her eyes and started crying.

"Jade-chan, what's wrong? What happened? Did you have a nightmare?" Lussuira asked, worried.

The girl was trembling with fear, trying to block out the horrible images of her nightmare. She knew it was no normal dream; the man was still watching her, waiting for a time to take her back. And she was scared. So scared.

A small hand started stroking her hair gently and she clutched Mammon's cloak as usual. She was still crying, but being near the baby soothed her.

"VOOIIII Lussuria! Why didn't you tell me she was awake?"

"Squalo-nii!" the girl shouted and to their shock, she lurched out of bed and hugged the swordsman's legs, shaking.

"Oi, what're you…"

Jade stared at his not burnt face and gave a sob of relief. The dream had been so realistic, but surrounded by their warmth, it was as if it hadn't happened at all. Gentle hands pried her away from Squalo and carried her back to her bed and Lussuria said, "You need to rest Jade-chan. You can't go running around like that."

She nodded obediently, but then remembered the flash of grey she had seen and asked curiously, "Lu-kaa-chan, what color are Belphegor's eyes?"

Surprised by the sudden question, Lussuria was about to answer when said boy walked in, "A peasant like you doesn't need to know."

He then settled himself onto the only available chair in the room and proceeded to stare at her. Lussuria looked at them nervously and said, "Bel-chan, let's go, okay? We should let Jade-chan rest."

The blonde shook his head stubbornly, "Nope, the Prince wants to watch the peasant squirm in pain a little longer."

Mammon sighed, "Don't hurt her Bel" before he slid off the bed and floated for the door. He turned to look at Squalo and Lussuria and said, "Let's go."

They followed him reluctantly, leaving Bel and Jade alone in the room.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

I finally updated this story! Sorry for the wait! I couldn't decide if I wanted to rewrite the entire thing because this chapter is so unsatisfactory to me, but I decided to post it anyways. :/ The dream sequence at the end was something I randomly thought of and found a way to incorporate into the story. Is it too creepy? I can't write horror very well and I didn't want to describe everything in bloody gory details so I just left it as was. Is the Varia characterization okay? Xanxus seems too nice and I don't even know what I'm doing with Bel anymore. Q_Q

Anyways, read and review please~


	3. Chapter 3: Goodbyes

Bel continued to stare at Jade who awkwardly fiddled with her bed sheets, trying to avoid his gaze. Suddenly he asked, "Why do you want to know about the Prince's eyes?"

She responded quietly, "I thought I saw them in a dream."

"Oh? So you're dreaming about the Prince. Ushishishishi have you fallen in love with me?"

Her face furrowed in confusion, "What does it mean to 'fallen in love' with you?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow, "First of all, 'fallen in love' is not a phrase, it's a feeling. And, forget it; I'm not taking my time to teach peasants about love. Lussuria can tell you."

The girl nodded sadly and then started to lift her shirt up. He grabbed it and hissed, "What are you doing?"

"I want to see the scar" she replied innocently.

Although his face was red, he released her and huffed haughtily, "It's rude for peasants to remove their clothing in front of royalty."

Not understanding the implications of what she had done, she just nodded, thinking she had learned something new. A moment later she leaned over for the glass of water that was by her bedside. Her fingers brushed the cup but a pain in her side prevented her from grabbing it. She stared at her stomach in confusion, threw the covers over her and lifted her shirt to look at the scar. Instead of a white line that would mark where she had been shot, she instead found a line of stitches. She screamed and flung the covers off. Bel turned to look at her, saw her with her shirt off and toppled off his chair in shock.

At the sounds coming from within the room, Squalo burst into the room, "Voii I thought I told you not to do anythi-" He paused, and looked at the two kids, confusion evident on his face.

Bel was on the ground, his face red and Jade had her shirt off. "What the fuck happened here?"

"Squalo-nii! I have weird things on my stomach! What is it? Am I going to die?" Jade asked, her voice trembling with fear.

The man walked over and took a look, "Voi, those are just stitches. They won't kill you. Normal people get stitches all the time."

"Ushishishishi your definition of normal people is screwed up long haired commander" Bel laughed.

Lussuria, having heard all the racket, ran in behind the swordsman. Taking in the scene in front of him, he pouted, "Mou, Bel-chan, I know Jade-chan is cute but you're too young for such things!"

Both Squalo and Bel blushed at the implications of the man's words, and Bel vehemently started denying everything. "What am I too young for, Lu-kaa-chan?" Jade asked.

"Why darling, you're at the stage where you would be curious about this I suppose. Well, I'll tell you. When a man and a woman are in love with each other, sometimes they have se-"

He was interrupted when Squalo punched him in the face, yelling, "VOOIIII WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU TEACH HER SOMETHING LIKE THAT?"

"But Squ-chan, she'll have to learn sometime and you don't want your precious little sister to be ignorant, would you?"

"VOII She's 8! She doesn't need to know about shit like that!"

"Squ" Lussuria said sternly. The swordsman paled and mumbled, "Wh-what?"

"How old were you when you found out?"

The silver haired man mumbled something unintelligible and then roared, "That's not the point! Jade is much more innocent than your ordinary kid in the mafia world! Don't teach her shitty things!"

"What are you talking about Squalo-nii?" Jade finally spoke up.

"Ushishishishi, they're talking about _sex_" Bel snickered.

"What's sex?" the girl asked, her face blank.

The entire room went silent and then Squalo exploded, "YOU STUPID FUCKING PRINCE! I'LL SLICE YOU TO PIECES! I TOLD YOU SHE DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW!"

Bel laughed and ran out of the room closely followed by a raging swordsman. Lussuria meanwhile had taken the seat that Bel had been occupying earlier. "Honey, do you really want to know what that means?"

Jade thought for a moment and then shook her head, "Belphegor said something about love earlier. What does that mean?"

He didn't understand that she literally had no comprehension of the feeling, and replied airily, "Oh darling! Love is fabulous! It's the best feeling in the world. You and that one special person, together forever! Oh, you'll understand when you're older and you find that person who you want to be with for the rest of your life!"

Still tittering about love, he handed her the glass of water she had originally wanted and left the room, humming happily. Jade sipped at her water, still having no understanding of the word love. She shrugged to herself; if it was important, they would tell her. She finished the cup of water and perched it precariously on her dresser before sliding down under the covers. All the excitement had made her tired.

* * *

><p>"If Vongola Nono wants her to go to school, we can't prevent her from going."<p>

"It would be beneficial for her to learn some knowledge outside the mafia world anyways."

"Why don't you enroll her in some private school here, boss?"

"The fucking trash wants to send her to fucking Namimori in Japan to make friends with that tenth candidate scum."

"Oh boss! Could it be that you've developed a soft spot for Jade-chan? She is very cute, but we have to let our baby daughter spread her wings." Lussuria cried.

"Who the fuck said she's our daughter, trash?"

"Muu, I don't think sending her to Japan is a good idea boss." Mammon suddenly piped up.

"Ushishishishi Mammon's going to miss his precious princess" Bel snickered.

The baby shot Bel a look and continued what he was saying, "That man said he would come for her when she was more useful. Sending her that far away is dangerous. He could take her back at any time and we wouldn't even know."

Silence fell in the room. "Then we're not sending her. End of discussion." Squalo snarled.

"We don't have a choice, didn't you hear Boss? It's Vongola Nono's order." Bel stated calmly, his face stretched in a grin.

Squalo glared at him, "Voii you trash, if she gets captured by that man, she'll be killed within a few years. I don't care what the fuck your problem is with her, we're not letting that happen."

Bel's grin disappeared, "I don't have a problem with her. The peasant can do whatever she wants."

Squalo stood up angrily and slammed his hands down on the table, "VOII I'm getting really sick of your attitude trash! Ever since she got here, you've been more and more ridiculous!"

"It's called the rebellious stage of growing up" the boy retorted.

"I don't give a fuck what it's called! You need to stop-"

A glass to the head shut him up and he clutched his head, groaning, "What the fuck was that for you shitty boss?"

Xanxus glared at him, forcing him to shut up, "We have to send her to Namimori. But if that trash lays a hand on what's the Varia's, that fucking old man can go shove it. We'll take her back by force and make sure the trash never messes with what's ours again."

The final declaration reassured the worried assassins and Squalo sat down, grumbling as bits the glass stayed tangled in his hair. There was a knock on the door and it opened, letting in a small girl. She looked at the tense men sitting in the room and said softly, "Do I really have to leave?"

No one could answer her and tears welled up in her green eyes, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Darling" Lussuria said hesitantly, "You didn't do anything wrong. We don't have a choice."

But the 8 year old girl had started crying. "But I wanted to spend my birthday with everyone. Mammon-tama said that you celebrate birthdays with your family. He said that even though I didn't know when my real birthday was, I could choose a date so I chose the day everyone found me."

Guilt crept through the hearts of the assassins as the girl sobbed. Mammon floated over and sat on her head and said, "We'll still celebrate your birthday. The day is tomorrow isn't it? We'll celebrate your birthday properly. Then you're going to school. So that you learn and become an adult."

Jade rubbed her eyes, "Really?"

The baby nodded, "But no more crying."

The girl wiped her tears away, but asked, "What is school?"

Mammon grabbed two locks of her hair and tugged on them. She squealed softly and allowed him to direct her to where he had been sitting. She clambered onto the chair and looked at Squalo expectantly. Since Squalo had taught her most of what she knew, she automatically assumed that he would know the answer. "It's a place where they'll teach you stuff like math."

"What is math?"

Squalo face-palmed, "I guess we should teach her the basics so that she won't be behind when she gets to Japan."

"Some other time" Lussuria waved his hand dismissively, and turned to the girl, "Darling what would you like for your birthday?"

She thought for a moment and spotted Levi and said the first thing that came to mind, "Juice! Levi-nii gives me the best juice."

The umbrella user was shocked for a moment before clearing his throat, "Of course. Only the best for the boss's sister."

"Honey, is there anything besides juice? A dress maybe? Or a stuffed animal?"

"Mammon-tama says there's a cake. Can I get a cake too?"

Lussuria burst into dramatic tears, "Of course you can darling! I'll get you the world's best cake!"

* * *

><p>Jade stepped into her new apartment quietly and looked around. The place was empty and white, lonely. She dragged her suitcase in behind her and closed the door. This would be her new home. It'd be best to get used to it since she wasn't going back to the Varia. After the first nightmare she had had about the Varia being killed by the man, she had been plagued with dreams filled with horror. It was a clear warning that if she continued to stay with them, they would be killed. She didn't want that. If they could stay alive, she would stay away.<p>

She quietly unpacked her suitcase, neatly hanging up her clothes and making her bed. But the whiteness of the room oppressed her and she hastily grabbed a small purse Lussuria had bought for her and ran out of the apartment. Remembering at the very least to lock her door, she took off, running away from the place as fast as she could. By the time she had calmed down, she was completely lost. She looked around and spotted a couple of children playing in a sandbox. She decided to approach them and ask for directions. _Squalo-nii __said __to __ask __for __help __from __good __people __if __I __was __in __trouble_.

The children were all laughing happily and playing together and she was hesitant to intrude just to ask for help. She spotted another kid her age who was sitting far away from all the others. He was trying to build something out of the sand but failing. She walked over to him and asked, "Um, excuse me. Could you tell me where I am?"

The boy looked up at her with large brown eyes and said, "This is Namimori Elementary."

Her eyes lit up, "Is that somewhere close to Namimori Middle School?"

The boy scrunched up his face as if he was trying to remember but then shook his head sadly, "I don't know, I'm sorry."

Her face fell but she thanked him anyways. Remembering what Lussuria had told her about making friends, she asked politely, "What's your name?"

At that point a woman called, "Tsu-kun! It's time to go!"

The boy shot up from where he was when his mother walked over. The two resembled each other greatly, with their big brown eyes and soft brown hair. "Ara, Tsu-kun, who's this?" the woman asked, "A friend? You must invite her over sometime!"

The boy blushed, "Okaa-san, she was just asking for directions."

Jade smiled at the lady and curtsied prettily, "I'm Aiko Hisui. I'm new in town and I got lost."

"Oh my, what a lovely name Aiko-chan. I'm Sawada Nana and this is my son Tsunayoshi Sawada, but you can just call him Tsu-kun."

Jade nodded and smiled happily, reaching out her hand to shake the boy's, "It's nice to meet you Tsu-kun!"

The boy blushed furiously at being called so familiarly and nodded shyly while hiding behind his mother. "Now, where do you live Aiko-chan? Maybe I can help you get back." The woman said kindly.

"Really?" the girl squeaked, "Um, then do you know where Namimori Middle School is? My apartment is really close to there."

The kindly woman chuckled and said, "Of course Aiko-chan. That's not far at all. Come, I'll take you there."

She followed the mother and soon they arrived at the middle school. Jade thanked Nana again and then waving she ran off, calling behind her shoulder, "I'll come play with you if I have time tomorrow Tsu-kun!"

The boy blushed again but she was too far away to hear his response. "Ara, I forgot to tell her that you graduate tomorrow and you won't be at the playground. Oh dear. Well I'm sure you two will meet again someday."

The boy Tsuna stayed quiet.

* * *

><p>It was a bright new day and Jade was looking forward to playing with her newfound friend. It was the first time she had met someone who was not related to the mafia. "Tsu-kun" was super cute she decided and she couldn't wait to see him again.<p>

Jade walked to the elementary school, expecting to see Tsunayoshi in the sandbox like before. To her surprise, there was no one there. "Maybe he isn't here yet" she thought.

The girl waited until the sun started setting and realized that the boy wasn't coming. She wiped her face clean of tears she hadn't realized she had shed. "Maybe I'm too weird to be friends with normal people. Because I'm a monster" she thought miserably.

She started walking back to her apartment, tears blurring her vision. She bumped into someone and bowed, mumbling an apology but didn't stop walking. She was stopped when someone grabbed her shoulder. She turned around to face a large man with a very red face. "How 'bout you 'pologize by spendin' the nigh' wit me?" he slurred.

She shook her head furiously, and said, "I'm sorry, I have to go home."

The man grinned, "You invitin' me back baby? Sure, no prob"

The nine year old girl cringed and was about to reply when the man shoved her against a wall. She shrieked when he pressed his face into her neck and mumbled drunkenly. Remembering what Squalo had taught her to do to bad people, she brought her knee up crashing into the spot between the man's legs. As Squalo had told her, the man toppled over groaning in pain and she immediately ran away. She wasn't sure why kicking a boy in that spot would hurt them, but listening to Squalo wouldn't lead her astray.

She remembered what Lussuria had told her. _Honey .__Men __are __like __starving __dogs. __They __could __snap __at __any __moment. __You __have __to __be __careful._

She shuddered again and quickly rushed back to her apartment.

It was her first day of school. She would be in fourth grade at Namimori Elementary School. She woke up extra early, cooked herself a big breakfast (Lussuria had taught her how to cook, she remembered fondly), and put on the uniform.

"_Jade-chan, you have to not be scared of the heat. Just flip the egg confidently." Lussuria directed._

"_Lu-kaa-chan, I did it!" Jade exclaimed, finally getting the technique right after days of practicing. _

"_What's for breakfast trash?" Squalo said, walking into the room._

"_Squalo-nii, I made a fried egg!" Jade said._

_The man grabbed a fork and walked over. He cut off a piece of the egg and chewed on it slowly. "Voii looks like you're not useless after all Lussuria!"_

She wished she could cook for them again. "Aiko Hisui."

But she most likely would never see them again. If that's what it took to keep them safe then she was okay with it. "Aiko-san."

So then why was she so sad? "Aiko-san!" the teacher's voice finally reached the girl, and she shot up out of her chair clumsily and said, "Yes, here!"

The teacher shook her head and sighed, "Make sure to pay attention next time Aiko-san."

Jade nodded, not understanding the giggles coming from the other children in the room. Had she done something funny? The students were all asked to introduce themselves by saying something interesting about themselves. Most kids said something about what they wanted to be in the future. When it was Jade's turn, she stood up and said, "In the future, I don't want to be a monster" and sat back down.

The teacher looked at her oddly but let the next kid have their turn. The other kids were staring at her oddly. Jade could feel the malevolent stares surrounding her and she lowered her head slightly. School didn't seem like it would be a very fun place. She couldn't help but think about Tsu-kun. Where was he?

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hey everyone (anyone left who's still reading my story lol)! Sorry it's been so long since I updated; I was working on my other fic for awhile and kinda forgot about this one 0_o But! I hope this chapter makes up for everything? Tell me what you think...?

Also Hisui is Japanese for Jade, which is why her name changed. (But I guess you could also say it's like a secret identity?) Aiko in Japanese means loved one, and I thought the name was pretty and fit her so ^_^

Does anyone think Bel seems out of character? Cause I reread the beginning and face-planted a little... maybe I'm just picky...

Read and review please~


	4. Chapter 4: Living in Namimori

Jade walked home, brushing off bits of grass from her skirt. During recess, the kids in her class had pushed her on the ground, and while she was more than capable of taking them all out, she remembered Lussuria's words. _Try __to __get __along __with __everyone, __okay __darling? __No __killing_. But still, the fall had hurt and she had scraped her hands in order to stop her fall. Was this because she was a monster? She was walking back to her apartment when she heard a shout. "Ah! Watch out!"

She looked up and saw something flying towards her. Out of instinct, she snatched it out of thin air and then stared at the item in her hands. It was a ball. A boy ran over to her, apologizing, "Ah, sorry, are you okay? I was practicing and then the ball was flying at you, but then you caught it! That was pretty cool!"

The girl silently handed the ball back to the boy and he thanked her, "Hey, would you like to play baseball with me? You seem like you would make a good catcher."

"Base…ball?" she repeated softly.

He nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, it's the best sport in the world. It's really fun; come on, I'll show you!"

He dragged her onto the grassy park area and started chattering about the sport. Suddenly he stopped and sheepishly grinned at her, "Ah, sorry. I must be confusing you with all of this, huh? Anyways, I forgot to introduce myself. My old man says that's really important when making friends. I'm Yamamoto Takeshi." He smiled and stuck out his hand to shake hers.

She took it gently and replied, "Aiko Hisui."

"Aiko-chan, then. I'm going to make you into the world's best catcher and then we can play together."

"How do you make friends?"

Yamamoto looked at her surprised and laughed, "Well, you just have to talk to them, right? And then you're friends."

"But how do you know we're friends, Yamamoto-san?"

"Well, we don't really seem like we're friends if you call me that. But I guess you're friends if you like each other. I like you, so do you like me?"

Jade thought about his question for a minute. He was happy and cheerful and overall very different from the Varia, but he was nice to be around. She nodded, "I like Yamamoto-kun too."

The boy blushed slightly but hid his reaction. "Then we're friends." He laughed and slung an arm around her shoulder. "Come on, I'll teach you how to play baseball."

* * *

><p>"Aiko-chan, who did that to you?" Yamamoto asked, his eyes full of worry.<p>

The girl's skirt was covered with grass stains and there were scratches on her arm. She shook her head dismissively, "It's nothing Yamamoto-kun. Happens all the time." She pulled her long sleeves down, hiding the fact that the scratches were already healed.

But the boy wouldn't let the issue go. When she finally told him that a bunch of girls from her school had been bullying her for awhile, he was outraged. He wanted to go find the girls and have a talk with them, but Jade stopped him, asking instead, "No, someone else already took care of them."

"Eh? Who?"

Jade shook her head, "He didn't tell me his name."

* * *

><p>"<em>Stupid monster! You were the only one who did your homework in our group! Did you want to make the rest of us look bad?" a girl yelled angrily, before shoving Jade onto the ground. <em>

_Jade caught herself and managed to land without too many scrapes, but she sighed inwardly. She would have to wash her skirt again that night. Expecting the girls to leave after shoving her done as they always did, she was about to get back at up, when to her surprise one of them grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up. The sudden unexpected pain brought a small squeal to her lips, but nothing prepared her for the next attack she received. The girls were trying to scratch her! She brought her arms up to protect her face, while wondering what she could do to stop them. From behind her, she heard a cold, "What are you herbivores doing?_"

_The girls stopped and turned to look at the intruder. A boy with pitch black hair and unforgiving silvery-blue eyes was staring at them. He was holding what appeared to be a pair of tonfas. The girls started nervously making their excuses and Jade took the chance to get up and inspect her wounds. They stung but they were nothing in comparison to the gun wound she had received. She looked up when she heard screams, and swiftly ducked a swipe of the tonfas. The boy was carrying out his own unique punishment to the girls for crowding._

_What seemed to only be a few seconds later, the girls were all on the ground in a bloody mess. Jade was warily watching the boy for any sudden movements, ready to bolt if necessary. Instead, he lowered his weapons and said, "Herbivore, why do you allow yourself to be beaten by these herbivores."_

_Good question, she thought to herself. Why did she let these girls continuously bully her? But she knew the answer why. It was because she wanted to have a quiet life without any attention, which she would gain if she fought back. So in reply she said, "I don't want to hurt anyone."_

_The boy smirked, "You're strong, aren't you?"_

_She shook her head, "Not as strong as you."_

_Responding to her comment, he abruptly threw a tonfa at her. Out of instinct, she ducked and got into a defensive position. The boy walked towards her and she prepared for another blow, but he was just going to retrieve his tonfa. Without looking back at her, he said over his shoulder, "I'll fight you when you become a predator, herbivore."_

_Jade watched him go, wondering why her body felt light._

* * *

><p>Jade answered the math problem on the board without much difficulty. The problems that Squalo had drilled her on were much more challenging than the easy multiplication problems they were currently learning how to do in her class. As always, when she thought about her Varia family, Jade's mind began to wander.<p>

"_Voii brat, the basics of math are easy. If you have one boss and 50 subordinate pigs, but you were only ordered to kill the boss; then how many people are left alive?" Squalo yelled._

"_Fifty subordinate pigs" Jade answered immediately._

"_That's subtraction. Now for addition. If you killed 15 people yesterday, 18 people today, and 23 people tomorrow; in the end how many people have you killed?"_

_Jade thought for a bit before responding, "56 people?"_

"_That's right! Now to move onto multiplication!"_

"_But Squalo-nii, what does killing people have to do with math?" Jade asked, confused._

"_Ushishishishi the peasant doesn't get such a simple concept" Bel laughed, walking in._

"_Vooiiii you stupid brat! What are you doing here? I told you to keep out!" Squalo roared._

_Bel ignored him and sat down next to the girl, and started carving pictures onto the desk with his knife. "Math is just a way to keep up with numbers. That way when Boss asks you how many people you killed, you can tell him."_

_He pointed to the engravings he had made on the desk and said, "There's 20 peasants here. If you kill these five over here, there's only 15 left, right? That's the same as 20 minus 5. If you bring in ten more peasants, then you'll have 25 peasants. That's the same as 15 plus 10. You already know math from every day life; you just didn't know that what you were doing was math."_

_Then, still laughing, he pocketed his knife and walked out to Squalo's enraged shouts of "You fucker! Why didn't you use some fucking paper? Who the hell taught you to carve shit on tables!"_

"Aiko-san, please pay attention in class" the teacher sighed. Jade snapped out of her thoughts, apologized, and resumed listening to the lesson.

That afternoon after the day was over, the girl was surprised when no one cornered her. She supposed it was because of the girls that had been attacked the day before by that boy. She would have to thank him some time. It was good manners after all.

* * *

><p>"Happy birthday Hisui-chi!" Yamamoto laughed, as he ruffled the girl's hair merrily.<p>

Jade smiled, "Thanks Takeshi-chi!"

The boy handed her a messily wrapped box and said sheepishly, "Sorry, I couldn't quite figure out how to wrap it."

She shook her head dismissively and accepted the present happily. Before she could start unwrapping it however, Yamamoto had taken her hand and was dragging her somewhere. She cheerfully ran behind him. They skidded to a stop in front of his dad's sushi shop and entered. "Old man, I brought Hisui-chi!"

Tsuyoshi peered over his counter and grinned, "Hisui is it? I made you guys something special. It's upstairs in your room Takeshi. Why don't you two go on up?"

Yamamoto started dragging her up the stairs when Tsuyoshi suddenly said, "Wait, Hisui, come here a second and let me take a look at you. It's not every day a girl turns 15."

Jade turned went back down to face him. He stared at her approvingly before murmuring, "Your eyes are almost completely green now. I remember there used to be a clear outline of yellow." He stepped back to examine her and nodded approvingly, "You're growing up to be a fine woman. Maybe one day you'll even be Takeshi's woman."

Yamamoto blushed and groaned from the top of the stairs, "Old man, please." He came down the stairs, gently took Jade's hand, and pulled her up the stairs.

Jade eagerly lit the candles on the cake. This was her favorite part of birthdays.

"_Blow out the candles darling and make a wish!" Lussuria said._

"_Why? What happens when I do that?" Jade asked, confused._

_Lussuria blinked, "Well, your wish comes true of course honey!"_

_Something flickered across the girl's face for a moment, but it was gone a moment later. When the candles were all lit, Jade took a deep breath and blew as hard as she could. "I wish everyone here: Lu-kaa-chan, Squalo-nii, Mammon-tama, Xanxus-nii-sama, Levi-nii, even Belphegor, will stay safe after I leave."_

"_Silly girl, stop staring off into space and cut the cake" Mammon chided gently._

Jade blew the candles out and wished with all her might, "I wish everyone in the Varia: Lu-kaa-chan, Squalo-nii, Mammon-tama, Xanxus-nii-sama, Levi-nii, and Belphegor, will stay safe forever."

Yamamoto laughed, "Your face is all scrunched up. You must be wishing for something pretty hard, huh?"

The girl opened her eyes and smiled dreamily, "It's important so I have to be sincere about it."

"Didn't I teach you that?" he chuckled.

Jade nodded eagerly, "Takeshi-chi said that if I really didn't like it when the girls bullied me that I should tell them."

_Jade stared at the cute Hello Kitty bandage for a moment before sighing, "I wish they would just leave me alone."_

"_Hey Aiko-chan, you never told me why they keep hurting you." Yamamoto said, his usual smile not present._

_She rolled over to face him and stretched her arms up to his face. She tilted his mouth up in a weak attempt to get him to smile and said, "They just want an outlet for their own frustration. Bullies that come in groups aren't strong, but they want to be. Since they don't know how to, they push their frustration onto people they think are weaker than them."_

_Yamamoto was rather surprised at the deep analysis. Jade at times seemed rather ditzy and unaware of the world around as if she had just been exposed to the world recently. Not that he minded of course; he enjoyed being able to teach the girl new things. She seemed to be pleased by the simplest of things. _

"_Then you should face them honestly and tell them. It's not fair for you to get hurt all the time."_

"_What should I say to them to make them stop?"_

"_Hm, just say what you feel. Let them know that you don't like it."_

"Hisui-chi? You're spacing out again. What did you wish for?" Yamamoto said, waving his hand in front of her face.

Jade shook her head and replied, "I can't tell you! My wish won't come true if I do!"

He laughed, "It must be a really important wish, huh?"

She nodded seriously, "It _has_ to come true."

Chewing on a piece of cake thoughtfully, Yamamoto asked, "So what should I teach you today?"

The girl replied cheerfully, "What did your dad mean when he said I should become your woman?"

Yamamoto blushed at her straightforward words and cleared his throat, trying to buy time. "Uh, well, he was just joking. But um it would mean we would be dating."

"What is dating?"

Surprised, he asked, "Haven't you ever read those shoujo mangas?"

"I read them," she said, nodding her head, "But I don't really get it. They keep talking about being in love. What is love anyways?"

"Love is a feeling you get when you're around people you like" he said, putting it as simply as he could. "There are different kinds of love. For instance, I love my old man, but it's a different type of love than what he was talking about. That's familial love. You said you had family in Italy, right? The feelings you have for them are a type of love."

She took a moment to let the information to soak in and then asked, "What's another type of love?"

"Well, there's love for friends. It's more like loyalty, but it can also be described as a type of love."

"Then…I love Takeshi-chi!" she exclaimed brightly.

He turned red, but laughed and said, "Yeah, me too."

"Tell me more Takeshi-chi! I want to learn more about love!"

"Well, there's also respect for someone that you admire. That's love as well." Yamamoto said thoughtfully, still trying to avoid the type of love she wanted to hear about the most.

A sad smile appeared on her face as she started daydreaming again. _I __admire __Xanxus-nii-sama. __Mammon-tama, __Squalo-nii, __and __Levi-nii __are __my __family. __But __then __what __about __Belphegor?_

"And the last type of love is the type where you meet someone special. When you're around them, your heart beats really quickly and you feel really happy. That love is where you want to be with that person for the rest of your life and to make them happy."

"Why does your heart beat quickly?" Jade asked earnestly.

"Well" Yamamoto hesitated, "I guess because you're nervous around that person. You want them to like you back."

"That's all for today. Go back home and write me a report, young lady." He said sternly, although his eyes sparkled with laughter.

She pouted, but closed her eyes, curling up on his bed. _I __wish __I __had __been __able __to __tell __them __that __I __loved __them __before __I __left._

* * *

><p>"Um, excuse me. Is Aiko Hisui in this class?"<p>

The class started murmuring, before a girl piped up, "She left a moment ago, but I don't know where."

"Ah, thanks."

Yamamoto frowned as he closed the door. Where could she be? They hadn't promised to eat lunch together or anything, but he was sure that she would wait for him.

The sun was bright and there was a gentle breeze outside; the perfect day to eat lunch on the roof. Jade unpacked her bento carefully and sat on the edge, balanced precariously. She took a bite of her lunch and smiled sadly. _I __wonder __if __everyone __is __eating __well._ Alone on the roof, she started singing softly to herself.

The moonlit evening shows its face  
>And a child's voice is vanishing<br>Far away, far away, I guess you're somewhere in this sky  
>In the end of the summer, we sneaked away to this park we had found<p>

Do you remember that constellation somehow?  
>Even if I can't meet you, I want to pursue my memories<br>And show you the same happiness.  
>Along with that smell, the fireworks open in a flash<p>

I want to live, I want to live and run to your place right now  
>I can't see anything in the pitch dark, even if it's scary, I'm all right<br>The countless starry sky is still here now, forever  
>I won't cry because the sky I saw before with you was beautiful<p>

She wiped away unshed tears and continued eating her lunch in silence, the last note of the beautiful tune echoing in her heart. The door opened behind her and a familiar voice exclaimed, "Hisui-chi!"

Jade turned and smiled at the out of breath Yamamoto, "Takeshi-chi, what are you doing here?"

"I thought we were going to have lunch together! I looked everywhere for you!"

She frowned, "You should be making other friends at school."

The boy laughed, "I have plenty of friends already; I want to spend my lunches with Hisui-chi at the very least."

She scooted over and patted the spot next to her. He grinned and walked over to sit. A cold voice however stopped him. "What are you herbivores doing, crowding on the roof?"

The familiar phrase made Jade look up. The boy had grown up but his cold eyes were unchanged. His tonfas were still present as well, she noticed. She jumped up and bowed apologetically, "Sorry, we were just about to leave."

She busied herself with packing up her lunch, trying to avoid his piercing gaze. But it was futile. He glared at the boy with her and said, "Herbivore, leave now. I have business with the other one."

Yamamoto tried to placate the boy, "Now, now, we didn't mean to crowd or anything. So, if you'll just let us-" He was cut off when the boy lashed out with his tonfas.

Jade pushed him out of the way just in time, and said urgently, "Go. I'll catch up with you later. Just go."

Yamamoto shook his head, "Not if he's going to hurt you. I can't just leave knowing a lady is about to get hurt, now can I? Especially since it's the school disciplinary committee president, Hibari Kyouya."

"You're the one who's going to get hurt if you don't leave Takeshi-chi!" she said grimly, as she dragged him out of the way of yet another attack.

With a gentle nudge, she pushed him in the direction of the door. But he stubbornly refused to leave. Left without a choice, Jade pulled out the baton that Squalo had gotten her years ago. She still kept it on her person and practiced her combat skills whenever she could. A tonfa whistled through the air but she batted it away before it could hit its mark. "Herbivore leave. I will not repeat myself again."

"Takeshi, please just go! I promise I'll be fine."

Gritting his teeth, Yamamoto left. With the distraction out of the way, Jade immediately took a defensive position. The boy ran at her and sought to engage with his remaining tonfa. Jade dodged his blows, trying to avoid a full blown fight with the boy. At her obvious reluctance to fight, the boy stopped as suddenly as he had started. In one swift movement that she could barely follow much less avoid, he pinned her against the wall with his hand on her throat. Her baton came out to smack him viciously in the arm, but he didn't even flinch. Instead his other hand darted out and snatched her wrist, squeezing tightly. She cried out in pain and let go of the weapon.

"Still a weak herbivore. When will you become a predator?" he murmured.

She couldn't answer, breathing shallowly. He released her and started to walk away. She massaged her throat and called, "Wait. I wanted to thank you for last time when you took care of those girls."

He glared at her sharply, "I was not helping you herbivore. I was merely taking care of crowding in Namimori."

She nodded, "I know, but I wanted to thank you anyways Hibari-san."

He ignored her comment and said, "Herbivore, you will eat lunch here on the roof every day. Do not be late." He left abruptly, leaving the girl confused.

She bent down to pick up her baton and winced at the pain in her wrist. Although it would heal much more quickly than the average human, it was still painful while it lasted. She was going to have to brush up on her self defense if she wanted to survive her lunchtimes.

She grabbed her lunch and left the roof to go look for Yamamoto. As she walked through the hallways, she passed by a boy with familiar brown eyes. She stopped and turned to look at him. "Tsu-kun?" she thought. Although it had been a few years, she still hadn't forgotten about the adorable boy and his mother who had helped her.

She was about to go after him when a voice called, "Hisui!"

It was Yamamoto. He grabbed her by the shoulders and asked, "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

She shook her head and looked behind her for the boy, but he was already gone. She sighed and gently reassured her friend that she was fine. She kept her almost healed wrist hidden behind her.

* * *

><p>Jade sighed as she ate her lunch. It was lonely being up on the roof all the time. Yamamoto wasn't allowed to come with her, and Hibari hadn't shown up since then either. She finished her lunch and hummed to herself. Moving in time to the music, she practiced her footwork. She brought out her baton and started a complicated series of movements. Unbeknownst to her, Hibari was sitting above her on a raised part of the roof watching her movements.<p>

She finished her song and sat back down on the ground. She stared up at the beautiful blue sky and watched the clouds move by. A sudden pressure to her neck made her freeze. She carefully turned around to see Hibari with his tonfas glaring down at her. She stood up slowly and asked, "Did you need something Hibari-san?"

"Have you become a predator yet?"

His tonfa came towards her. Automatically, she brought the baton up to defend herself. Backing up quickly, she grabbed her empty bento box and made a dash for the stairs. But Hibari was quicker and cornered her. She stared up at the taller boy and suddenly felt uncomfortable. She looked away awkwardly, "I'm not a predator."

Huffing in disappointment, the boy left immediately. Jade dropped to the floor weakly, clutching her chest. "What is this feeling?" she wondered.

That night, she was at Yamamoto's doing homework with him when she brought it up. "Hey Takeshi-chi. I think I'm in love."

The boy choked and started coughing and spluttering, "What? With who?"

"With Hibari-san."

Yamamoto's expression darkened, "What did he do to you?"

"Well, you said that when you're in love with a person, you want to make them happy and your heart beats quickly right? Hibari-san is scary but he seems so familiar."

"Is that why you go to the roof every day? To see him?" the boy asked quietly.

"Eh? No, I go because it seemed like he would do something scary if I didn't. I hardly ever see him. It's very lonely."

The boy didn't reply. She looked at him and scooted closer to him, "You don't have to worry because I still love Takeshi-chi the most."

He pulled her into a hug and murmured, "Hey, will you come watch my next baseball game?"

She nodded in excitement, "Of course I'll go! I'm Takeshi-chi's number one fan!"

* * *

><p>"Hey everyone! Yamamoto is about to jump off the roof!"<p>

Everyone started murmuring. "Him? That's impossible."

"No way he would try that."

The boy continued, "When he stayed after school practicing yesterday, he went too far and broke his arm."

Jade ran for the door without listening to anything else. She raced for the roof. "Takeshi, you better not do anything stupid." She thought desperately.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hey, sorry it took me so long to update this chapter. It's mostly building Jade's relationship with Yamamoto and Hibari. Oh, and flashbacks to the time with the Varia. XD

The song that Jade sang is Planetarian by Ai Otsuka. I thought it fit so I had to put it in there lol.

Anyways, read and review as always please~


	5. Chapter 5: Adjusting

She was almost at the staircase that led up to the roof when a group of girls stopped her. "Hey, you're acting really familiar with Yamamoto."

She tried pushing past them, "Sorry, I'm busy right now. Could you talk to me later?"

They refused to let her pass however and formed a circle around her. "Could you not pretend that you're friends with Yamamoto? He's too nice to tell you to leave him alone, but it's really bad for his reputation if you continue hanging around him."

"We're doing this for him, you know."

"We don't want him to suffer because of you."

Jade stood there quietly, listening to them prattle on and on uselessly while Yamamoto could have already jumped from the roof. That was the last straw. She was fine if they bullied her because they wanted to feel better about themselves, but if they were endangering a friend's life, then it was unacceptable.

Angrily, she looked up directly at one of the girls and growled, "If you don't want to get hurt, you'll move."

The girl laughed obnoxiously, "What's this now? Are you trying to intimidate me?"

"Don't you know that you can't do anything?"

"You're a useless unwanted monster."

Unable to stand their presence any longer, Jade whipped out her baton and started smacking people out of her way. They were tossed aside like rag dolls as she made her way towards the staircase. Without a single backwards glance, she was running up the stairs as quickly as she could. She burst out the door and saw Yamamoto standing on the other side of the flimsy protective fence. He grabbed a boy by the sleeve and they both fell back. Right off the side of the building. Without thinking, she ran forward, and flung a hand out as if to catch them. But it was unnecessary; they were already safely on the ground.

The audience on the roof started dissipating slowly, grumbling about pranks. Jade quickly ran to get to her friend. He was talking to the same boy when she finally found them. "Takeshi!" she shouted.

He turned to grin at her sheepishly, and she yelled at him, "How could you? Why didn't you talk to me about it!"

He grew somber again, "I didn't want to bother you when you're growing up so quickly."

She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, "Stupid Takeshi. I'll beat you up if you ever try something like this again."

"Ah, could you possibly be Aiko-san?" someone asked from behind her.

She turned and saw a pair of familiar brown eyes and squeaked, hiding behind Yamamoto. "I'm sorry. I know you don't want to see me."

"Eh? No, it's me who should be sorry. I said I would play with you but I forgot to tell you that I graduated that day so I couldn't be there. I always kinda regretted that I wasn't able to play with you again as a kid."

"Tsuna, you know Hisui-chi?"

Jade slowly came out from behind Yamamoto and asked, "You really don't hate me?"

"Of course not! Why would I hate you!"

"Then…can I call you Tsu-kun?"

"Eh? Uh, I mean, sure…I guess…"

Before they could say anything else, Yamamoto laughed and commented, "Hey Tsuna, you might want to put on some clothes."

The girl giggled as he shrieked and started flailing around, looking for something to change into. She could feel some distinctly unpleasant glares however, and bidding the two boys good-bye, she left to deal with them. It was time for her to stop being the scapegoat for everything. These girls needed to learn their lesson eventually and she preferred sooner than later.

She confronted the girls in an abandoned hallway. "I want you to stop bothering me." _Remember, I have to speak to them honestly and just tell them what I feel._

The girls laughed and started taunting her as usual. "Why should we do that?"

"We have the right to do whatever we want."

"You're annoying so why shouldn't we get rid of you instead?"

"Stop hanging around Yamamoto all the time."

"You should just jump off the roof yourself!"

After letting them speak their minds, Jade straightened up and with her 5 feet and 4 inches of height, she declared firmly, "I'm tired of you trying to bully me. You do have the right to do whatever you want, but in that case so do I. If you want Yamamoto to notice you, then you need to do something yourself instead of chasing off people that he's friends with. I won't let you bully me anymore!"

A girl came to the front and shoved her, "Hey, could you just disappear? You're an annoyance."

Jade angrily shoved her back, "I said leave me alone!"

They converged on her, hands outstretched. She pulled out her baton and dealt her nearest opponents sharp blows. The rest backed away slowly. She held the weapon in front of her defensively. "I don't want to hurt anyone so it's best if you just leave."

A few other girls tried to challenge her but she beat them to the ground swiftly. The rest broke and ran. She stared at the girls that were on the ground and turned to leave to get a nurse. As she turned the corner, she bumped into a familiar black uniform wearing prefect. Hibari glanced at the girls on the ground and then his eyes settled on her. His lips curled into a small smirk, "Have you finally become a predator, herbivore?"

She nodded slowly, wondering why her heart had started beating quickly again, "But I don't have time to fight you right now Hibari-san. I have to get a nurse."

He scoffed, "The Disciplinary Committee will take care of it. You are to come with me, Aiko Hisui."

She wouldn't ask him how he knew her name. Confused by his response, she nevertheless followed him. He led her to the reception room and pointed at a door inside. "Go find a uniform that fits you."

She opened the closet door to find row upon row of Disciplinary Committee uniforms. She searched through them looking for a small female size. As her hand clamped down on the cloth, the door suddenly shut. She squeaked, "Um, Hibari-san…what…"

"Change with the door shut, Aiko Hisui."

She quickly changed into the clothes she had found. Adjusting the uniform in the dark, she felt around for the doorknob and finding it by accident, she tumbled out the open door. Catching herself, she straightened and asked the prefect who was already at his desk, hesitantly, "Um, Hibari-san, what is all this for?"

"You will be a part of the Disciplinary Committee from now on, Aiko Hisui."

"Hibari-san, you can just call me Aiko-san. My full name is too long isn't it?"

He glared at her sharply, "You are Aiko Hisui. Therefore I will call you that."

"Is it okay for me to continue calling you Hibari-san?"

"Hn. Get Kusakabe Tetsuya to brief you on your duties. You are dismissed."

She bowed politely and left.

_He reminds me of Xanxus-nii-sama._

* * *

><p>She wasn't sure how it had come to this; she and Yamamoto were being examined by a transfer student from Italy. Gokudera Hayato. She had been accompanying the baseball player to his afterschool practice when the boy had run up to them and dragged Yamamoto away. She had immediately followed, worried that something would happen. So far all that had happened was an unnerving stare.<p>

Yamamoto started laughing good-naturedly, "Hey, Gokudera, why did you call me out here for a stare-down?"

He seemed to think of something and said, "You should drink some milk. Frustration is usually caused by lack of calcium."

The transfer student fumed silently and turned around to fumble with something in his hands. Was that dynamite? Before she could do anything, another person came running up to them. At his shout, Gokudera immediately hid the dynamite and whirled around.

"Tsu-kun!" Jade greeted happily, rather relieved that the dynamite had disappeared, although she wouldn't ask how the boy had managed to do that.

Yamamoto noticed something tied behind Tsuna and asked, "Your little brother?"

The infant replied calmly, "I'm not his little brother. I'm Reborn. The Vongola family hitman."

Yamamoto started laughing, "I see. Well, I apologize. It must be troublesome to be a hitman at such a young age."

Jade stared at the baby in awe. This was Reborn? The feared Vongola hitman? She had heard about him from the Varia. If it was really him, he was to be feared and not taken lightly. And yet, there Yamamoto was, innocently thinking it was all a game.

"Ok, sure. Then let me in this Vongola Family too." Yamamoto said, grinning.

"Eh? Ya…Yamamoto? What are you saying?" Tsuna shrieked.

Gokudera angrily tched.

Yamamoto turned to Jade and said, "Hey Hisui-chi, you wanna join too?" He faced Reborn and asked, "Can she join as well?"

The baby looked at her and replied, "Sure, but you have to pass the family entrance test."

"Oh, there's a test? That's pretty legitimate."

"If you don't pass the test, you can't enter the family." Reborn said simply.

"If we don't pass the test, it equals our death. Reborn doesn't fool around." Jade thought, worried.

Reborn said the same thing she had thought, but Yamamoto only laughed again, "You're seriously funny kid. I like you."

The infant pulled out two guns and said, "The test is easy. Simply dodge the attacks."

He smiled innocently and said, "Well, let's start." Putting away the guns, he agilely threw a set of knives at the two family member candidates.

Yamamoto dodged easily and pulled Jade out of the way. She thanked him but pushed him down when a barrage of bullets was fired at them. They passed by right over their heads and the two of them took off running. Yamamoto dragged Tsuna with them. "The boss should set an example right?"

The taller athlete clearly had an advantage however and he ended up dragging Jade and Tsuna who struggled to keep up. As they struggled along the back of the school, another baby appeared from an open balcony above them. Although she couldn't hear what he was saying, she did recognize the weapon he pulled out of his hair. A missile launcher. Eyes widening, she picked up the pace and barely managed to dive out of the weapon's range. But the trial wasn't over. They skidded around a corner to come face to face with Reborn and a sub-machine gun. They darted out of the way, dragging Tsuna along with them.

But the final attack when a bolt of lightning, dynamite and bullets were all aimed at them simultaneously. Her body naturally reacting from training, she pushed Tsuna towards Yamamoto and started pulling the two of them away from the danger. Unable to get away far enough, she gave them a final shove out of the line of danger and threw an arm over her head to protect herself. The field next to her exploded and shrapnel dug into her arm. She winced but didn't say a word. When the smoke cleared, she was relieved to see an uninjured Yamamoto supporting a terrified Tsuna. She smiled and hid her arm behind her. The wounds had already stopped bleeding and were closing up. She didn't want anyone to worry about her unnecessarily. _Thank goodness for Squalo-nii's training._

Gokudera walked up to Yamamoto, grabbed his collar aggressively and said, "Good job. You protected Tenth, so I have no choice but to admit you into the family. But the right arm of the Tenth is me. You're the shoulder blade."

"Shoulder blade?" Yamamoto burst out laughing, "I thought so from before, but you're a funny guy!"

His face took on a more serious expression, "But, I don't want to withdraw from being Tsuna's right arm. So, you'll be the ear lobe."

From there, their conversation deteriorated into something 5-year-olds would be ashamed of. Jade laughed silently at the expression on Tsuna's face, but immediately sobered when she saw Reborn staring at her. Could he know something about her?

* * *

><p>"Jade of the Varia, you've done a good job of remaining undetected for so long. Unfortunately if you join Tsuna's family, you will be drawing attention to yourself." Reborn said.<p>

Jade sat on her swing seat quietly. She turned to look at him seriously, "I want to protect Takeshi until he understands that what he's been dragged into isn't just a simple game. If that means putting myself in danger, then I'm willing."

Reborn smirked, "Then you won't mind if I move you a bit closer to Tsuna's family?"

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry Aiko-san. There was a mistake in the papers. You are supposed to be in Class 1-A not 2-A. You will need to move there immediately." Her teacher said professionally.<p>

Jade stared at the lady in disbelief, "Um…what?"

She sighed, "Like I said, you're supposed to be a grade lower than what you are right now. You will be moved to Class 1-A starting today."

The girls in the class started snickering while Jade fumed. _Reborn_.

* * *

><p>"Class, this is Aiko Hisui. Please treat her well." The teacher said.<p>

Jade looked around, spotting familiar faces. She bowed politely, "It's a pleasure to meet everyone. Please take care of me."

She went to take her seat in the back of the classroom near the window. Yamamoto grinned at her as she passed by. The rest of class was incredibly dull for the girl. Finally it was time for home economics class where the boys and girls would be separated. She put on an apron and stared around at the groups that had already been formed. Two girls came up to her and asked if she wanted to join their group. "I'm Sasagawa Kyoko and this is Kurokawa Hana."

She nodded happily and joined them. Kyoko was nice and innocent while Hana was more mature, but both of them seemed to be good friends. She listened to them chatter together and focused on shaping the onigiri they were making. Hana seemed to be having some trouble with hers, so she gently helped the girl shape hers more easily. She seemed to appreciate the help, and gave her a friendly hug.

"We'll give the onigiri we made in home economics class today to you boys!" the girls said giggling when the boys in the class started cheering.

Jade spotted Yamamoto, Tsuna, and Gokudera in a corner. She was about to approach them when Tsuna ran over to Kyoko who was next to her. The girl offered her onigiri to Tsuna who started panicking. Gokudera and Yamamoto came over and started reaching for one each. Tsuna closed his eyes and shrieked, "If you eat it, you'll die!"

Suddenly his clothes seemed to burn up and he started yelling "Eat the onigiri as if I were to die!" Immediately he started rampaging, eating all the onigiri in sight. Jade quickly hid hers behind her back, wanting to save them for the two boys who had been deprived of their onigiri. She silently wondered what had caused the sudden transformation in the normally quiet boy.

When Tsuna had finally calmed down, Jade approached Yamamoto and Gokudera and offered her onigiri. Yamamoto accepted with a grin, "Haven't had yours in awhile." Gokudera took one and bit into it, reluctantly complimenting her, "It's not the worst I've tasted."

"_Squalo-nii! Lu-kaa-chan taught me how to make onigiri! Will you try mine?" Jade asked excitedly._

_The man looked up from his paperwork and took the offered plate. He bit into one of the onigiri, "It's not the worst I've tasted." He continued to eat the onigiri in his hand and gently tugged the plate closer to his papers._

_Jade smiled happily. Squalo-nii liked them!_

_If only I could make onigiri for Squalo-nii now._ Jade smiled at Gokudera, pushing the thoughts to the back of her head. She had left the Varia for good. Petty thoughts like that wouldn't do her any good. It was good enough that she had the memories. She suddenly realized that it was the first time she had thought such a thing.

* * *

><p>Jade was on her way to Yamamoto's house to do their homework together when she saw Gokudera walking in his normal slouched manner. She sped up to catch up with the boy and greeted him happily. "Gokudera-san! Are you coming to Takeshi-chi's house to do homework too?"<p>

He scoffed, "Why would I help that baseball idiot with anything?"

Jade pouted a little, "But it's more fun with lots of people. And this is the last time I can spend time with Takeshi-chi for a long while because I have to help with the Disciplinary Committee paperwork from now on."

Gokudera raised an eyebrow, "A skinny brat like you is part of that committee?"

She nodded, "Hibari-san made me join, but Kusakabe-san said that I should just do paperwork or else I would get in everyone's way."

The boy frowned, "Oi, stupid woman, don't tell me you think that's a good thing."

"It isn't? I don't want to get in anyone's way."

"He's saying that because he thinks you're weak! No one who's going to be protecting the Tenth can be weak!"

"But I don't want to hurt anyone" Jade said softly.

Gokudera's eyes narrowed, "Oi, you. Do I know you from somewhere?"

Before she could reply, a shout caught his attention. They both turned and saw a heavily armored person swinging a hockey stick at Tsuna. Gokudera took off running with a curse. He skidded to a halt in front of Tsuna and threw a few sticks of dynamite at the attacker. The person was knocked into the river under the bridge immediately and then began to flail about in the water.

Tsuna shed his clothes and jumped into the river, fearlessly rescuing the young girl who had fallen in. As they dried off on the opposite bank, the girl, who introduced herself as Miura Haru, started reenacting Tsuna's heroic feat. Jade watched silently as Haru announced that she had fallen in love with Tsuna. There it was again, that love thing. She still didn't really understand it.

Gokudera glanced at her curiously, "Don't tell me you're affected by stupid stuff like that too."

Jade shook her head, "I was just wondering what love really is."

She started rambling to herself, "Takeshi-chi said there were different kinds of love, and he even explained them to me. But I guess I still don't really understand what it is. What kind of feeling is love?"

The boy's eyes narrowed and he pulled her aside, away from the others. "I knew you seemed familiar! You were that girl the assassination squad of the Vongola found! The newest addition to the Varia!" he declared.

Jade froze. She squeezed her eyes shut and denied it vehemently, "No, I don't know any Varia."

"Don't lie to me woman," he growled, grabbing her by the shoulders, "You were that new weapon they found, weren't you? What are you doing all the way over here?"

She continued shaking her head and repeated "I don't know a Varia" like a mantra.

"Oi, calm down. You don't have to be scared of anything. I'm not going to hurt you." The silver haired boy said, worried at her behavior.

She avoided meeting his eyes and muttered, "I don't know a Varia."

* * *

><p>Jade stood silently next to Yamamoto as the group that she been accustomed to hanging out with cheered Tsuna on. She was still worried about Gokudera's question. Had she been too obvious? No one was supposed to know that she had been part of the Varia so that she could easily slip away and no one would be the wiser.<p>

"Let's go, Sawada Tsuna! No need to hold back on your strength!"

Tsuna seemed rather uncomfortable with the idea of boxing with Sasagawa Ryohei. Whether it was because he was scared of boxing itself or because he didn't want to look lame in front of Sasagawa Kyoko had yet to be decided. Tsuna had to like Kyoko a lot to be so aware of her, Jade decided. Maybe that was love too?

The match was decided when Tsuna suddenly shed his clothes and started avoiding all of Ryohei's punches maniacally screaming, "REFUSE TO JOIN THE CLUB AS IF I WERE TO DIE!"

Ryohei was sent flying with a single punch and Tsuna seemed to return to normal. Gokudera didn't approach Jade about the Varia again. All seemed to be well.

She didn't notice that Gokudera was surreptitiously watching her. The boy had figured out that the Varia seemed to be a taboo subject, but was still confused as to why. Maybe Reborn would know, he pondered.

* * *

><p>"Paperwork is all done, I've organized the desk, and the tea supply has been replenished" Jade thought, going through her mental checklist. "That should be everything for the Disciplinary Committee."<p>

She turned to leave and jumped in surprise at the sight of Hibari leaning against the couch, silently watching her. She bowed politely and excused herself, "I'll just be going then, Hibari-san."

Before she could take a single step, the door opened. "Didn't think we had such a good room" a familiar voice mused.

"Who are you?" Hibari asked arrogantly.

Yamamoto's brow furrowed in recognition, and then he saw Jade standing to the side. "Hisui-chi!" he exclaimed.

The girl made an attempt to walk to him but Hibari held out an arm barring her way. Hibari walked forward, "Would you put out that cigarette in front of the Disciplinary Committee president? Well, either way, I won't let you get away."

Gokudera immediately bristled up like a cat and responded angrily, "What the hell bastard?"

Hibari swiped at him and the cigarette in his mouth was extinguished and sliced in half instantly. Gokudera jumped back defensively. The boy continued without pause, "I really hate weak herbivorous animals that form groups. Whenever I see them," his gaze sharpened, "I really want to bite them to death."

Jade came forward nervously, "Um, Hibari-san. Is this really necessary? They probably just came into this room by accident."

Hibari's eyes flickered over to the girl and narrowed, "Aiko Hisui. Are you questioning the president of the Disciplinary Committee? Shall I bite you to death first?"

As the girl was about to respond, another familiar voice said, "Whoa, it's my first time being in the reception room."

Yamamoto shouted urgently, "Wait, Tsuna!" but it was already too late.

Hibari brought his tonfa crashing into the boy's face, sending him flying into a wall. "One."

Gokudera reacted immediately, growling, "Bastard! I'll kill you!"

He rushed forward, but Hibari dodged and brought him down swiftly. "Two."

Jade rushed forward to stand in front of Yamamoto protectively, "Stop Hibari-san!"

The boy swiped at her with his tonfas. If she moved, Yamamoto would be hit. So she stood still and took the blow. She winced at the mind-numbing pain, but stood her ground firmly. Yamamoto growled, "Punk…!" and moved to stand in front of the girl.

She grabbed the back of his shirt and mumbled, "No Takeshi-chi. You'll get hurt."

But he ignored her. When Hibari attacked, Yamamoto swiftly dodged his blows. Hibari remarked slyly, "Are you injured? You seem to be protecting your right hand."

Yamamoto faltered slightly and Hibari sent him flying with a kick, "Bingo."

"Three."

The boy then turned back to face Jade. "From now on, you will not spend your time uselessly with these herbivores."

The girl frowned and said firmly, "No."

"Are you disobeying me, Aiko Hisui?"

Jade defiantly marched over to where Yamamoto was laying, "You don't have the right to make me stay away from my friends, Hibari-san."

With difficulty, she maneuvered the limp body into a slightly more comfortable position. She looked up at the prefect, "I don't mind spending some time taking care of Disciplinary Committee business, nor do I hate or fear you like so many people here do. But if you try taking my friends away from me, then I…I'll fight you!" she said boldly.

The boy smirked, "So the carnivorous side of the predator has finally awoken, I see."

"Very well. I shall bite you to death as you wish."

"Argh. Ouch…" someone mumbled.

"Tsu-kun!" Jade exclaimed.

"Aiko-chan? Gokudera-kun! Yamamoto! Why?" the boy shrieked.

"They won't wake up. I hit them to make sure of that." Hibari said.

"Stay here. I'll call an ambulance for them." Hibari said, smirking, "But first. I have to bite this one to death."

He made a movement as if to throw a tonfa at Jade but then changed the direction of his attack, bringing the tonfa up to block Tsuna's blow as the boy suddenly screamed, "I'LL BEAT YOU UP AS IF I WERE TO DIE!"

But even in his hyped up state, it seemed that Tsuna wasn't a match for Hibari, who easily brought his tonfa crashing into the boy's jaw. He left nonchalantly and was unprepared for Tsuna's sudden punch to the face. Then with a slipper that came out of nowhere, he slapped Hibari over the head. The room went silent and then Hibari looked up, livid, "Hey. Can I kill you?"

"That's enough. You're strong after all." Reborn said from the window.

"I don't know who you are, but I'm very much irritated right now. Would you sit there and wait for me?" Hibari charged at the baby.

To his surprise, Reborn countered his blow with a weapon of his own. "Wow. You're amazing." Hibari said.

Reborn smiled innocently and held up a bomb, "Let's break up."

* * *

><p>"Morning Tsu-kun! Gokudera-kun!" Jade smiled.<p>

They greeted her and then Gokudera started bickering with Yamamoto as the friendly boy slung an arm over the both of them. "Don't touch me baseball idiot!"

"Oh? Aiko Hisui is it?" a blonde man said from the side.

Jade bowed politely, "Yes. Who are you?" She was pretending not to know. The tattoo on the man's arm clearly indicated that he was the boss of the Cavallone family.

The man held out a hand to shake and introduced himself, "I'm Dino Cavallone."

"She's the girl that Hibari seems interested in. You should know her actually. You were acquaintances with Squalo, weren't you?"

Her eyes sparkled, "You knew Squalo-nii?"

Taken aback from the excitement in her voice, Dino replied hesitantly, "Er, how do you know him?"

Reborn whacked him on the back of the head, "This is the girl the Varia took in. Jade."

Dino's eyes widened in surprise. He had known the newest member of the Varia was a young girl, but he hadn't expected her to look so innocent. He was expecting something along the lines of what Belphegor had been like.

"Hisui-chi! Hurry up; we're gonna be late!" Yamamoto called from further up the road.

Jade bowed to Dino and Reborn hastily and then ran after the boys.

They continued walking, with Gokudera babbling about Dino. Jade was trying to stifle the feeling of longing that had welled up inside of her. She wanted to see the Varia again. But she couldn't; not as long as the man was threatening them. While she was buried deep in her thoughts, a car pulled up beside them. A rope grabbed Tsuna, pulled him in, and the car sped away.

"Tenth?"

"Tsuna?"

"Tsu-kun!"

"They're yakuza called the Momokyokai that controls the area around here. Yakuza is Japanese mafia. You middle-schoolers won't stand a chance against the adult mafia. Leave it to the police." Reborn said from behind them.

They immediately started running after the car, ignoring the baby's words.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the yakuza gang's hideout. Without pausing, Gokudera kicked the door open. A group of mean looking men looked up at them from their spots in the room. "Eh? What's this group of brats want with us?"<p>

"Hey bastard, where's the Tenth?" Gokudera growled.

The men started getting up to threaten them and Gokudera lit his dynamite. He and Yamamoto started beating up the men. One of them brought out a knife and snuck up behind Yamamoto. Jade smacked him with her baton viciously. Quickly, too quickly, she defeated the rest of the men in the room. Gokudera and Yamamoto looked at her with amazement. Who knew the little girl was such a good fighter.

She slid her baton back into her jacket and then picked up one of the men by the collar and asked, "Could you tell me where Tsu-kun is?"

That was how Dino and Tsuna found them. At the entry of their friend, the three flung aside the bodies and greeted him happily. They were about to leave when a group of tougher looking men entered the room. "You brats, what did you do?"

"Bastards. They just keep showing up." Gokudera said, lighting a cigarette.

Dino stopped him from doing anything rash and stepped forward. In his best diplomatic voice, he offered to pay for the medical fees and other damages. One of the men smirked, "We'll take the money all right. But you guys aren't going anywhere."

"You've broken off all negotiations, then. I guess we'll have to return with force." Dino responded. He snapped his whip and managed to hit himself, Gokudera, and Yamamoto in the process.

"What the heck are you doing?"

"Owww…"

"I hit myself too…"

Jade stepped in front of the boys on the floor and held her baton in front of her defensively. The men laughed and charged at them. Jade dealt swift blows to the first one who reached her. Behind her, she heard Tsuna yelling, "BEAT UP THE YAKUZA WITH MY DYING WILL!"

He rushed forward and started attacking the men. Gokudera and Yamamoto recovered immediately and rushed to his aid. When Dino joined in, the Momokyokai were wiped out in a matter of minutes.

* * *

><p>The door opened and there was a shriek, "Hibari-san!"<p>

"Hey" the black-haired demon of Namimori greeted.

From the side, Jade exclaimed, "Tsu-kun! I heard you got hurt! Are you okay? Sorry I couldn't visit you. I was helping Hibari-san."

"Aiko-chan? What are you doing here?" Tsuna asked.

She held up the apple she was cutting and went back to her task, knowing that Hibari didn't like excessive chatter. Tsuna turned back to Hibari and asked, "Um, why are you in the hospital?"

The boy smiled, "I caught a little cold. I was playing a game to get over my boredom, but everyone was too weak."

For the first time, Tsuna noticed the pile of bodies in the corner of the room. Hibari turned to Jade and said, "Don't forget to take out this group as well Aiko Hisui."

She nodded, "I'll take care of them in a moment Hibari-san."

"Eh? Why are you so calm Aiko-chan? Don't tell me he beat up these guys while you were in the room?"

"The rule is easy. If anyone makes a sound while I sleep, I'll bite them to death."

Jade focused on making the pieces of apple into rabbits the way Hibari wanted them. No one in the Varia had eaten their apples like this. She wondered if food tasted better to the carnivore if his food was in the shape of herbivores. By the time she was finished carefully arranging the fruit on the plate, Tsuna had awoken Hibari. Before Hibari could hurt Tsuna too much, she lunged forward and placed the plate of apples in front of him. Immediately he calmed down and took one. She sighed in relief and then started to pack up her stuff. He stopped her, "Where do you think you are going, Aiko Hisui?"

"Um, I have to help Takeshi-chi with his homework."

"You will stay here," the boy stated firmly, "Make sure no one disturbs me."

"Yes Hibari-san."

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

It has been like 3 weeks since I've updated and I'm so sorry for that. I got distracted catching up to all the anime I was behind on...ahaha...anyways! I hope you like this chapter! The next one will be out in a few minutes hopefully!

For the Namimori Daily Life Arc, I decided to just write the parts where characters are being introduced because I don't want my OC to interfere with the plot so much.

Read and review please~

Happy New Years or New Year's Eve depending on where you are!


	6. Chapter 6: Friends

"Takeshi-chi, I told you, you don't have to walk me home. I can take care of myself." Jade protested.

"Sorry Hisui-chi. Even the kid said that it would be dangerous for you to go home alone."

"Well, what about you?"

"Kufufu" an eerie sound echoed in the alley near them.

Jade paused, "Eh? Takeshi-chi…did you say something?"

Yamamoto laughed, "Not yet, must be your imagination."

The girl looked around warily for a moment, but then shook her head and continued walking.

* * *

><p>"Hibari-san, I'm here to report the state of things this morning. As of this morning, 7 people in the school have been atta-" Jade paused. "Oh, he's not here."<p>

She looked around the dark room and then abruptly turned on her heels and left. She briskly walked to the hospital where most of the Disciplinary Committee was gathered in the hopes that someone would know where Hibari was. She spotted Kusakabe being wheeled into the hospital on a gurney and ran after it. "Kusakabe-san! Do you know where Hibari-san is?" she called.

He weakly replied, "Kyou-san has gone to take care of the trouble-makers…Kokuyo…"

"Thank you Kusakabe-san! Take care of yourself!" She turned and sighed, "Should I go? Hibari-san will probably be mad if I don't make my report."

After asking around, she got directions to a Kokuyo Land and started making her way there. As she arrived in front of the decrepit amusement park, a low growl was heard, "Aiko Hisui, how nice of you to come to me."

She whirled around and came face to face with a blonde boy in the Kokuyo uniform (or so she assumed), his fangs and tongue sticking out. "What do you want with me?" she asked nervously, fingering her baton.

He grinned, "Because Mukuro-san wanted me to catch you without hurting you," he leaped at her, "too much."

Her baton smacked into his face but he shook the blow off easily and then knocked her on the back of her head. Her vision blurring from the pain, she staggered forward, keeping a death grip on her weapon. _Never let go of your weapon._ That was the first thing Squalo had taught her. But the boy didn't give her a chance to recover before whacking her on the back of her head again. She fell forward, unconscious and he caught her, slinging her over his back easily.

* * *

><p><em>Open your eyes.<em>

Jade stirred a little, and her eyes opened a crack. Her eyes met only darkness and they widened in alarm. It took her another moment to remember what had happened, and then only a little after that, she could feel the pain again. She moved to clutch the back of her head in pain but realized that she couldn't move. There didn't seem to anything tying her up, so why couldn't she move? And where was she for that matter?

Her eyes adjusted a little while later and she spotted a body lying next to her. Squinting, she gasped when she realized it was the battered body of Hibari Kyouya. She tried scooting closer, but her body refused to allow her to move. In fact, she couldn't even speak, and she was sure that there was no gag in her mouth. She put all her energy into trying to speak and could only manage a small grunt. What was wrong with her?

The sound woke up the boy and his eyes snapped open. He lay still for a moment, adjusting to the limited light and then slowly sat up. He looked positively murderous. The boy then glanced in her direction where the sound had come from and spotted her. He frowned, "Aiko Hisui, what are you doing here?"

She attempted to respond but couldn't move. The boy moved closer to her, "If you do not respond, I will bite you to death."

Her eyes widened but her body still wouldn't respond. She frantically tried to do something, anything, other than blink at him dumbly. _Behave._

Suddenly she could move again, her body listening to the silent command that had come from nowhere. She sat up quickly and gasped a response to the boy who was mere inches away from her now, "Hibari-san, you ordered me to report to you every morning regardless of the circumstances."

"What kept you from answering before herbivore?"

"I don't know Hibari-san."

He grunted, "Don't act like such an herbivore again in front of me."

She bowed, "I won't Hibari-san."

Suddenly she noticed his injuries and gasped, "Hibari-san! You're injured! What happened!"

He grunted, "I'm not weak like you are Aiko Hisui."

She shrank back. "I'm weak?" she thought, puzzled.

"I suppose I am weak. I can't do anything on my own. Even though I was Varia, I was captured so easily. I can't protect anyone much less myself. That's why I had to leave the Varia." Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes and she nodded sadly in agreement, "Hibari-san is right. I am very weak."

With that statement, she went silent and sat, hugging her knees to her chest, as far away from him as possible in the enclosed space. She was valiantly holding back tears. "Kufufu It seems that this frightening boy is being terribly rude dear Jade."

She jerked in surprise. The voice chuckled, "Oh dear, I must have startled you. I apologize. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rokudo Mukuro. I am currently directly accessing your mind in order to speak with you."

Jade shuddered. This unknown person sounded like the man. The person she was most afraid of in this world. "Oya? Do not be scared, my dear. I wouldn't dream of hurting such an important chess piece."

She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the voice but the boy would not be deterred. He laughed again and then said, "Perhaps you would listen if you were facing me directly?"

All of a sudden her body went limp and she collapsed. She could hear Hibari questioning her sternly but couldn't respond. She desperately tried to fight the drowsiness that was clouding her mind, but was inevitably put to sleep.

Jade's eyes snapped open when she heard the familiar voice calling to her. Standing in front of her was a blue haired man with a peculiar hair style, dressed in the Kokuyo Middle School uniform and holding a trident. His gaze focused on her and he smiled a terrifying smile, "Ah Jade dear. You are awake at last. Good. Now come and let me tell you how we will be destroying the world."

The girl could only whimper. This boy, Rokudo Mukuro resembled the man in so many ways. What if the boy was the man disguising himself? Did that mean that all her efforts until now had been futile and that the Varia were in danger? The possibilities flooded her mind and paralyzed her with fear.

His eyes sharpened and he repeated firmly, "Come here my dear."

Tears welling up in her eyes, she forced herself to get up and walk to him. Experience had told her that disobeying an order only led to pain. Mukuro smiled and place a hand on her shoulder. She flinched and his smile only widened. "My dear, do you know why I wanted you to be on my side?"

She shook her head, unable to muster the courage to speak. "It's because you hold an interesting power. That power of yours, do you know what it is?"

Again she shook her head, unable to think about anything but the pain awaiting her. "It is a flame. A destructive flame might I add. It will be a wonderful power to unleash on Sawada Tsunayoshi." At this Mukuro started laughing loudly, his voice echoing throughout the room.

"Tsu-kun?" she thought frantically, "What will happen to him?"

Mukuro chuckled, "Oya, even if you can't speak, your thoughts are plenty enough for me. Sawada Tsunayoshi, the tenth boss of the Vongola, will be possessed by me. And from then, it is bloodshed until the end of the world!"

He turned to face her, "Isn't that wonderful? This world which has seen so many cruel things done to you will be destroyed!" His voice took a slightly dreamy and insane tone, "Ahh, I can hear the screams already. You most certainly won't be disappointed my dear."

Jade shook her head furiously and whispered timidly, "I don't…I don't want to hurt Tsu-kun."

Mukuro tilted his head to the side a bit and asked softly, "What was that my dear?"

She stared at the ground resolutely and repeated her statement, "I don't want to hurt Tsu-kun."

The boy chuckled and then his expression hardened, "I wasn't asking for your opinion dear Jade. You are a puppet to be controlled by the master, me."

He then waved his hand idly and she collapsed on the floor, unable to control her actions yet again. "As you can see, I have full control of your body right now. Your mind was particularly easy to enter and control. It offered me practically no resistance at all."

Jade lay on the floor, unable to respond. She was terrified but above all she was frustrated. Hibari was absolutely right when he had called her weak. She couldn't do a thing for anyone and that was why she was stuck in this situation, without control of her own body. "Oya oya It looks like we'll be getting some guests soon. Why don't you wait over there with the ranking boy."

Her body automatically took her to where Fuuta was laying and then collapsed again. She tried to move, to get to the boy who had a haunted look in his eyes, to make sure he was all right. But she could do nothing. She was completely useless.

The door opened and she could hear Tsuna's voice. She wanted to call out to him but her voice just wouldn't obey her. Her hearing started to fade away and soon it was just silence and her heartbeat. In the silence, she was reminded of the time when she had been trapped in the room by the man. Her heart rate sped up as the fear started to slowly take over and overwhelm her. She could feel herself losing her reason already.

As the fear crept towards the dark recesses of her mind, there was a sudden jerk and she could move again. She opened her eyes to be confronted by a pile of rubble, Hibari, and a beaten Gokudera. Still dazed from her possession, she watched dumbly as Hibari easily sent two Kokuyo guys flying. One of them was the guy who had detained her; she wondered at Hibari's strength, to be able to do such a thing despite his heavy injuries. She shook her head to wake herself up and then ran to support Gokudera. His injuries made her gasp, "Why?"

He grunted, "Why what woman?"

"Why are you trying so hard for Tsu-kun? You're really hurt!"

The silver haired boy snorted, "I'll serve the Tenth no matter what."

"But…he's just another person. Why can you go to such lengths?"

Gokudera muttered, "Because he's the first person to accept me." He looked at her, "Don't you have a reason for coming here woman?"

She stuttered, "That's because… Hibari-san, I have to report to him every morning."

"So it's not that baseball idiot, huh?"

"Takeshi-chi? Is he okay?"

"The idiot'll be fine. He's resting outside. Anyways, you should find a reason to live. That's what that pervert Shamal told me, not that I asked for his advice or anything."

A reason to live. The Varia flashed through her mind immediately, but to her surprise, the middle-schoolers did as well. She closed her eyes. No, she couldn't get too close to them. She had to be able to leave at any possible moment. They had to stay safe. She stopped walking abruptly. "I can't be with my reason. So should I still fight?"

"Aiko Hisui. Your reason to fight does not have to make sense to others. As long as it is what you believe, that is enough." Hibari said firmly, "Now hurry up before I bite you to death."

"Is it really okay just like that?" she whispered to herself as she followed the two boys.

But she didn't have much longer to think about her predicament because as soon as the three arrived at the movie theater that Mukuro was occupying, she felt a familiar force pulling at her mind once again. While Gokudera and Hibari went to engage the enemy, she slid to the ground and clutched her head, trying to keep Mukuro out. She could still however, hear the events going on around her.

"Are you ready to repent?" Hibari growled.

"What's this? How frightening. But, please don't get in the way of the Vongola and me right now. For one thing, you shouldn't even be standing. How many bones in your body have I broken?"

Mukuro thought for a moment and then continued, "I suppose it isn't surprising however. For you to have sensed the true power that lies within Jade shows that you aren't so weak as to let such wounds hold you back."

"Are those your final words?"

"Oya oya? Are you not interested at all in the girl's powers? Of the dark flame she carries? Such a destructive power was within your grasp for so long Hibari Kyouya and yet you did nothing. Wouldn't it be better if we made a pact?"

Hibari didn't change expressions at all, not reacting in the least to the words Mukuro was saying so the boy changed tactics, "No choice, then. Lets dispose of you first." He charged towards the prefect, "It'll all be over in an instant!"

_Why do you not obey?_ "No" she moaned, "I don't want to do bad things to Tsu-kun and the others. No, stay out. I don't want to."

_You don't want to? My dear girl, whoever said you had a choice? Now. Obey me._

She went limp as Mukuro undermined her mental defenses and took control. She stood up shakily and headed towards Tsuna who was watching the fight between Mukuro and Hibari. He turned around, sensing her presence, "Eh, Aiko-chan? What are you doing here? Ah! You've got a scratch on your cheek! Are you okay?"

Even as her hands reached out and gripped his neck, tears were pouring down her face. Tsuna tried to pull away as he sensed something was wrong with the girl but she was much stronger than she looked and held on. Her grip started to tighten when Hibari brought Mukuro down. Suddenly Jade regained control of herself again and she immediately let go of Tsuna, sobbing, "I'm so sorry! I couldn't stop him!"

"Ah, no Aiko-chan, it's not your fault. You don't have to worry about anything since it's over now. Hibari-san defeated Mukuro."

They tensed when Mukuro got up again, but he simply pointed a gun to his head and with a quick "Arrivederci" he was gone. Or so they thought. Jade however, had once again collapsed. They assumed that it was because she was exhausted, but in reality she was trying to prevent Mukuro from gaining control of her again.

_Why do you resist me?_

"_I don't want to be a bad person!"_

_You were once a part of one of the most ruthless assassination teams._

"_They aren't bad people! Don't say bad things about them!"_

_They're murderers. They kill regardless of good or bad, blindly obeying orders from higher ups._

"_They're not bad people! I won't forgive you if you say bad things about them!"_

Jade stood up as did both Bianchi and Gokudera. "Eh? No way, Aiko-chan! Are you possessed too?"

"Kufufu this is now my body to do with as I please."

"_No please don't! I don't want to do bad things! Don't hurt Tsu-kun!"_

_Hush my dear, you are being awfully irritating._

"The second state, the state of hungry ghosts…a skill to steal the abilities of others."

Dynamite flew through the air at Tsuna who shrieked and ran around trying to avoid it. Jade attempted to attack the boy as well but Tsuna managed somehow to evade her movements.

"_Please, I'm begging you, don't make me hurt Tsu-kun."_

_Why do you care so much about the welfare of another?_

"_Because… because Tsu-kun is my friend!"_

"I want to…defeat Mukuro…"

Jade snapped out of her own thoughts and stared at Tsuna. His hair was covering his eyes but the rage in his voice couldn't be contained. "I don't want to lose to such a cruel person" he muttered, "Just you! I want to defeat you!" he yelled.

The determination in his eyes struck Jade deeply. _"Tsu-kun is my friend! They all are! Takeshi-chi, Gokudera-kun, Ryohei-san, Hibari-san, everyone in the Varia! Don't insult my friends and don't make me fight them!"_ she screamed in her mind.

The feelings that she had suppressed for so long welled up and pushed Mukuro out of her mind. At that moment Leon exploded with light and bequeathed Tsuna with his new weapon. Gokudera attempted to throw more dynamite at Tsuna who was in no position to dodge, so with all the strength she had left, she ran towards the silver-haired boy and shoved him with all her might. He was pushed to the side just as he released his weapons into the air, disturbing his aim just a little. The boy shoved her away snarling in anger and she was flung backwards, coming to a stop in a heap next to the prostrate body of Hibari Kyouya. She stared at him numbly for a moment and then allowed exhaustion to consume her.

* * *

><p>Although she didn't have many physical injuries, Jade remained unconscious for much longer than any of the others. While everyone was already recovering and preparing to head back to school, the girl lay on a hospital bed connected to an IV drip. Her face was deathly pale and occasionally her face would contort in agonized expressions.<p>

_So you have made friends dear Volpe._

_Jade remained silent._

_Do tell me all about them. It will make killing them all the more enjoyable. You made a grave mistake my Volpe. I warned you once and now your so called friends will pay the price for your second transgression._

"_No please, I won't do it again" she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks._

_Why should I believe the words of a liar fox? You are mine and mine alone. To be used by me, abused by me, and broken by me. None are permitted to interfere. _

_With that statement, the man disappeared, leaving Jade to cry alone in the deepest confines of her mind. The collar was once more visible around her neck and its presence sent her into despair._

_Hibari was fighting a group of delinquents as usual but this time he was being overwhelmed. The first attack that hit him drew blood but he thought nothing of it. It was only a few attacks later that the sheer amount of blood that he had lost brought him to his knees. The little bird that he had tamed fluttered down to head and chirped sadly, "Die die". A beer bottle came slashing down across his throat and the boy collapsed, the blood spreading underneath him slowly._

_Gokudera threw a stick of dynamite at a paper plane that was soaring through the air. Instead of making contact however, it came flying back at him, propelled by its own supply of gunpowder. Cursing, he tried to counter it with another stick of dynamite, but it too turned on him. He began to run, the dynamite following him, until he found himself at a dead end. As the dynamite was about to strike him, Tsuna jumped in front of him, taking the blow. The smaller boy was flung back where he crumpled in a bloody broken mess. Gokudera screamed in anguish and the alleyway they were in exploded._

_Yamamoto turned on the pitching machine and swung his bat experimentally. The ball shot out before he could react and he ducked in the nick of time. The machine continued to spit balls out at him and he was barely avoiding them. He raised his bat, ready to hit the next one that came at him, but when he swung the bat disappeared and the ball nailed him in the face. He struggled to stand up only to be hit in the face again. The balls continued to attack him until he couldn't move._

_She screamed and continued screaming until her throat went raw._

Jade started screaming, her eyes ripped open and she found herself staring at the white ceiling. She was still screaming. The nurse burst into the room, "Aiko-san! Please calm down! Doctor! We need a doctor in here!" A moment later, a sedative was injected into the girl's IV drip. It slowly took effect, and her eyes started fluttering shut against her will. She glanced pleadingly at the nurse but to her horror the face that stared back at her was not that of a friendly hospital worker, but rather the man who had plagued her nightmares her entire life. Her eyes widened and she tried to call for help but the drug overwhelmed her and she slowly sank into cold darkness.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Here's the next chapter as promised!

Please read and review~


	7. Chapter 7: Nightmares

Jade jerked up out of the bed, breathing harshly. She looked around, panic evident on her face, but she was still in the hospital. Her breathing slowed and she lay back down, trying to calm herself. She closed her eyes and tried to remind herself that she was safe, but the darkness only scared her more. She looked around the room wildly, searching for something that would calm her down. But everywhere she looked, there was only white.

Black or white, which would be the lesser of the two evils? In the darkness, she would see the man threatening her, and in the white, she would see the supposed innocence that she exuded. Either way, she would be reminded that she was a monster.

As she inwardly fought herself, the door opened. Weaponless, defenseless, and weaker than ever before, she dived to hide under the bed. "Aiko Hisui, what are you doing?" a dry voice asked.

Her eyes widened and she jerked up to look at the person standing in the doorway. Hibari. Seeing him in his customary uniform, with the indifferent expression on his face caused her to slip over the edge and suddenly she was crying on the floor. She continued crying until she had run out of tears and she was simply hyperventilating helplessly, unable to stop. It was then that Hibari decided enough was enough and strode around the bed to hit her in the head with his tonfas. The sudden blow shocked her out of her daze and she sat up, clutching her head. It was the first time since she had entered the Disciplinary Committee that Hibari had hit her. "Return to your bed herbivore. If you cry any more, I will bite you to death."

She obeyed him meekly and he continued speaking. "You have allowed your duties to pile up, caused the herbivores you associate yourself with to crowd, and have become a herbivore. How should I punish you?"

Before Jade could respond however, he glared at her, "Do not give me a weak excuse Aiko Hisui. You were a predator before; allowing yourself to become an herbivore is unacceptable and will solve nothing."

"I apologize for troubling you, Hibari-san."

He huffed and got up to leave but she stopped him, "Um Hibari-san. Why was I not an herbivore before?"

He sat back down slowly, "Herbivores are weak and rely on others. Although you crowd together with the other herbivores, you were strong enough to stand on your own as well."

"But what is the meaning of being strong?"

He glanced at her sharply, "I am strong because I am able to protect Namimori. Both my strength and Namimori are equal. Because I am able to protect Namimori, I am strong; however at the same time, because Namimori is here, I am able to become strong in order to protect it. Find your own reason and rid yourself of your herbivorous tendencies."

It was possibly the closest thing Hibari had ever come to telling her anything about himself. Although the message was a little difficult to understand, Jade caught the underlying meaning to his words. Being strong was about being able to protect what you thought of as most precious.

In that case, Jade was incomparably weak. She had run away from her problems, choosing the easy way out and abandoning what she thought of as most dear to her.

* * *

><p>By the time Jade was finally released from the hospital, she had somewhat calmed down. The nightmares had stopped and she had been able to get a good night's sleep and recover. In order to celebrate, she wanted to go to Yamamoto's baseball game. Having never missed one of his games before, she didn't intend to start now.<p>

They were seated next to a woman and her child, who seemed to admire Yamamoto. Throughout the game, he would get extremely excited whenever their friend was up at bat. Jade was having fun herself. _Enjoying yourself my dear?_

She stiffened and came face to face with the boy who she a second ago had been cheering with. There was a kanji symbol in one of his eyes and he smiled at her, "Nee-san, let's play together again sometime, okay?" The message in her mind however, was different. _It is best to be wary my dear. It seems as if an unwelcome guest has arrived._

She could only nod quietly. Fear was seeping through her, but along with it, there was anger. The foreign feeling confused her a little. Where was the anger coming from and who was it directed at?

As the boy walked away with his mother, he left her one last cryptic message. _Watch your eyes._

* * *

><p>A small girl was standing alone in an empty playground. She clutched her jacket around her tightly, shivering a little. The jacket was a bit small since it had been given to her when she was still in the Varia, but it was her most prized possession and she refused to leave it behind.<p>

It was time for her to become strong. Too long she had been tortured and used by the man. Not this time. This time, she would protect what she loved. Even if it meant giving herself up. And although her fear made her squirm, she refused to turn tail and run.

A familiar and feared silhouette appeared and she felt her blood run cold. She couldn't run this time, she told herself firmly, willing her hands to not shake. The man walked up to her and smiled, "Well Volpe. You have certainly given me some trouble. Let's go back together, shall we?"

Jade gathered all of her courage together and looked him in the eyes directly, "My name is Jade not Volpe."

The man's expression didn't change as he viciously backhanded her. The blow hit her directly in the face and she was sent flying backwards from the impact. She clutched her bleeding lip and looked up at him. "I see you've picked up some unpleasant habits. No matter, I'll help you get rid of them."

He pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket and flicked one at her. His smile was the last thing she saw as she was pulled into a dark nightmare. "_Have fun Volpe._"

* * *

><p>A little girl with long straggly dark brown hair and dull green eyes was huddled in a corner. She was staring at a crack on the wall. Just moments ago, the crack hadn't been there. Then she had been thrown against it and now a sliver of the wall was missing. She reached out a hand and felt the wall. It was rough to the touch and unfamiliar. A splinter in the wall dug into her finger and she winced a little, pulling her hand back. She stared at the piece of wood in her finger and then pulled it out. The small wound disappeared a moment later as if it had never happened. But the girl was no longer interested in the wall. It would hurt her again. So she curled up in the corner and closed her eyes.<p>

"When will you learn to obey me Volpe?" the man asked, as he flicked his whip centimeters away from her face.

The girl flinched but didn't answer, looking instead at another wound on her arm that was healing. The man grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, "Next time you will follow my orders."

She nodded as well as she could with his hand still holding her, and he flung her away from him. She crashed into a wall and remained where she lay, unmoving. The man left the room, the door slamming shut behind him. The girl counted to twenty and then opened her eyes fearfully, scanning the room. She dragged herself to her corner and curled up. The wound on her arm had already healed.

* * *

><p>The whip came down in a steady rhythm. Everywhere it touched, a bruise was left behind. But just as fast as the bruises came, they disappeared as well. This seemed to infuriate the man who only hit her more furiously. He flung the whip away and took out a pack of cards. The girl whimpered but he ignored her. A card was slowly chosen and she found herself in a nightmare where the pain and terror were both real. The man was everywhere around her and yet not. And no matter what she did, whether she closed her eyes or not, she could still see him. She sobbed in fear. This was the worst punishment.<p>

* * *

><p>Screams of pain and terror echoed around the mansion. The servants continued their chores with their heads bowed, even members of the family were particularly silent that day. In a lone room above them, a little girl was being tortured to the point of insanity.<p>

"_Why do you not use your power as I command, you bitch?_"

The girl couldn't hear his question over the sound of her screaming. She had never experienced such pain in her entire life. Each time he brought his scythe slashing down on her, the pain ripped through her, tearing not at her flesh, but at her ability to sense pain itself.

* * *

><p>Jade tore herself away from the visions of her past. She collapsed on the ground, breathing harshly. She opened her eyes and in a panic, asked herself, "Who am I?"<p>

Only one name came to mind. Volpe. But it was filled with contempt. That couldn't be her name! Then who was she? She tried to think but all she could remember was pain and fear. Was that all she knew? Perhaps then she deserved to be treated with contempt. A monster like her could only be named something as vile as Volpe.

But she was sure she had done something else. There were other things she had felt. So why couldn't she remember? She clutched her head and a soft material brushed against her. She looked at it. The Varia jacket. And it came back to her. _Jade. My name is Jade. Not Volpe. And I will not be so easily controlled anymore. I will protect what is most important to me._

She blinked and looked around her. The man had already somehow moved her. She was in some sort of abandoned warehouse, chained to a table that was nailed to the ground. She gave a weak tug on the chain as if that would pull her free. As expected, it didn't budge and she let it clatter to the ground heavily.

As she sat there silently, she tried to form some sort of plan in her head, but she could come up with nothing. As time passed, she became more and more panicked. All sorts of questions and worries began popping into her head. What if she was left there to die? What if she was left there so that he could go kill her friends without interference? What if she couldn't protect her friends?

She had already resigned herself to a fate of having to serve him when the door slammed open. She jerked slightly but immediately went still, pretending to be asleep. The man walked over to her and kicked her contemptuously, "Get up _Volpe_. Do not try to fool me with such petty tricks."

Reminded of her helplessness yet again, she slowly sat up, avoiding his gaze. "I have some news for you my dear Volpe. I went off to dispose of your so called friends."

Hearing this, Jade whipped her head up to look at him in horror and fear. He smiled at her, "No worries my dear. Instead of killing them, I decided to let something much more amusing take place."

In a conversational tone, he continued, "I was approaching a large group of your friends who had gone on an outing, when there was a sudden explosion. Of course, the boy being the Vongola Decimo, I wasn't much surprised. But then just imagine my shock when I saw who was attacking him!"

He leaned forward so that she couldn't look away, "Why it was your beloved Squalo from the Varia!"

Jade froze. She stared at him, uncomprehendingly. He threw his head back and laughed loudly, "Nufufufufu I don't even need to lift a finger. They will eliminate each other!"

He then turned and made her make eye contact with him and he whispered, "Is the thought terrifying? Does it make your blood run cold? To have the two groups of people you care for most destroy each other?"

Jade opened her mouth to answer but all that came out was unintelligent babbling. The man kicked her in the stomach and she went silent. "It seems as if I came for you slightly too early. You are not yet ready."

He took the chains off her and gave her a not-so-gentle nudge, "You may leave. I will come for you another time."

Jade merely sat there numbly. A thousand thoughts were flying through her mind. The Varia and the middle schoolers were fighting each other? Why? Her middle schooler friends would be killed! There was no reason for the Varia to fight them! As she tried to process the events, a single thought flitted by. _He must have done something to make them fight each other. It's his fault._

She pushed it aside, too terrified by the prospect of facing him, but the idea kept coming back. It took up all her attention and she looked up to glare at the man. His face hadn't changed in the time that she had been away from him. He still instilled fear in her, but now something else was welling up within her. Pure unadulterated rage.

The man looked at her nonchalantly, "What are you thinking of my dear Volpe? You can't possibly be thinking that it's my fault, can you?"

At her silence, a smile started to creep over his face. "You are, aren't you?"

"Nufufufufu well, I can't tell you how pleased I am. It seems as if leaving you with those ruffians was not useless after all. Please, you are most certainly welcome to try and claim revenge."

_Revenge? Takeshi-chi said that it was bad to do things for revenge._ Jade shook her head. Yamamoto wasn't there anymore to tell her that it was bad. And look where his innocence had landed him. On death's doorstep. Revenge. The word ignited something in her. She looked up at the man again and without warning, lunged forward.

She tried to grab him by the neck but the man was much more experienced in combat than she was and had been expecting the move. He dodged with ease and laughed, "Don't tell me that the Varia only managed to train you that much? I expected much more from you."

"Don't talk about them!" She lunged again, but he simply tripped her.

This situation repeated a few times before Jade stopped. It was clear that she had the disadvantage here. She didn't know how many days she had been unconscious and trapped in his illusionary world before she awoke here, but she was weak and hungry. The fear that had been driven into her was slowing her down as well. To top it off, she didn't even have a weapon on her.

But she couldn't lose this fight. She simply refused to. Now that everything she loved was gone, she no longer needed to cling to life so desperately. If that meant death at the hands of this man, then so be it. _Death_. The word echoed in her mind and she immediately remembered the first time she had seen death up close. The blood that had covered everything. The fear she had felt then. She started to tremble. She couldn't do it. Death was too scary, too real, for her to embrace so easily.

The man stared at her in disappointment, "Hmm, it seems that you still haven't reached that point. Well, you're close enough. I suppose I can take you back at this point now that your so called friends are gone."

He quickly chained her up again while she was incapacitated by her fear. She fell to the ground, shaking with anger at her helplessness. The man left her like that.

* * *

><p>"Let's try that again, shall we, my dear Volpe?"<p>

The girl shook her head stubbornly, her eyes shut tightly. The man angrily grabbed her by the throat, "I will teach you to fear me again, my bitch."

Then he looked in surprise at his hands, "What's this? Your collar isn't here, Volpe. What have you done with it?"

But as he looked more closely at her neck, he started chuckling, "My my, an illusionist that could keep this collar hidden is rare indeed. I expect it was the work of that Arcobaleno, Viper, was it? Well, no matter. I simply need to break his illusion and you will be mine again."

Jade whimpered and tried to cover her neck, shaking her head desperately. The man laughed, "When I'm done with you, my dear Volpe, you will never think of disobeying me again."

He focused his attention on the collar and Jade started shaking. She was petrified at the idea of having the collar on again. The accessory was a symbol that she belonged to the cruel man. It was the mark of someone who would never be free. But it seemed that for the moment at least, Mammon's illusion was stronger than the man. Jade prayed that it would never disappear.

"This seems to be a bit more troublesome than I thought it would be. Very well, I will let you off for today, but remember, the day that that illusion disappears is near."

He turned on his heels and left the girl alone in the empty building. She waited until she was sure he was gone, counting to twenty. It was a habit from back when she had been trapped in that room.

Slowly he was undermining her mental defense. She was already responding to certain idiosyncrasies that he had, just as she had used to. If he managed to get the illusion covering her collar off, she would succumb to her terror for sure and be sucked into a world of endless pain once again.

With nothing else she could do, Jade closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

It's been awhile since I've updated but here's chapter 7! Chapter 8 is on its way and so is the first chapter of my new fanfic. :)

So, by now, you can probably guess who the man is, yes? Ahaha, one of my reviewers actually gave me the idea and I managed to incorporate it into the story without changing much. Also, I've dropped hints here and there about her powers; I wonder if anyone has picked up on those ^_^ It'll all be explained much later in the story so don't worry if you haven't.

As always, read and review please~


	8. Chapter 8: Free?

Jade curled up into a ball, trying to forget the pain. It had been at least a week of imprisonment. She hadn't eaten or drank anything in all that time, her sleep had been plagued by nightmares, and she was on the verge of giving in.

"Are you ready to submit yourself to me Volpe?"

She whimpered but shook her head. The whip came down harshly; she screamed as the pain seared through her. "Who taught you to defy me Volpe? Perhaps I shouldn't have left those so called friends of yours alone? How would you like to see what they're doing?"

Although she shouldn't have allowed it to, a spark of hope lit within her. Would he let her see them? "Very well, once your collar is back in place, you may go see them" he sneered at her, "Although when that happens, it will be a miracle if you can even remember who you are much less some petty people you once spent some time with."

He laughed menacingly and put his whip up. "I will see you tomorrow Volpe."

His footsteps faded away and the door slammed shut. Jade stared at the bruises on her body. They weren't fading away as quickly anymore due to her lack of nutrients. She clutched her prized coat to her. It was the piece of fabric that had allowed her to hold on for so long. Every time she wanted to give up and let her mind go blank, she would feel the soft material and remember the warm times she had with her friends. Somehow just remembering was enough to make her continue fighting.

Tears welled up in her eyes; she wanted to see everyone so badly. The suffocating feeling was killing her.

"_Squalo-nii! I figured out the math problem!"_

_The swordsman patted her on the head. He opened his mouth to say something when Levi entered the room. His eyes landed on her and he cleared his throat, "Er, I have prepared the best juice for the boss's sister."_

_Jade's eyes lit up at the prospect of juice. Squalo rolled his eyes and said, "Is juice all you can think of getting her?"_

"_Ushishishi the peasant doesn't deserve even juice" Bel chimed in as he strolled into the room._

_The boy walked up to her and leaned in close, "The prince has a better idea." His face turned grotesque and he grinned, showing razor sharp teeth, "Why don't you die?"_

Jade jerked out of her sleep. The image of Belphegor's face was still imprinted in her mind. She closed her eyes trying to erase the horrifying image. She couldn't let him cloud even her memories. If he got to those, then what would she have left to hold onto?

_I apologize in advance my dear._

* * *

><p>"So weak." Mukuro's eye changed and he launched a physical attack on the floating baby.<p>

"Muu! An illusionist who resorts to hand-combat is heresy! I denounce you and your reincarnation cycle rubbish!" Mammon shouted, "Humans will repeat the same life many times in infinite cycles. That's why I must keep hoarding" the room began to whirl and disintegrate "my money!"

"Kuhaha a greedy Arcobaleno. How interesting… But. When it comes to greed, I won't lose either." Mukuro smiled and the room erupted with pillars of flame.

Mammon countered by freezing the pillars and the battle continued fiercely. Suddenly the baby expanded and wrapped around the teenager. Phantasma wrapped around it and began squeezing its victim. But something was wrong. The baby trembled and then exploded revealing Mukuro surrounded by lotuses. "Descent into hell…and back again."

He held up the two pieces of the ring and turned to the Cervellos, "I just have to rejoin these rings, correct?"

"Ye-yes…"

"Not so fast!"

Panting, Mammon reformed, "I was just playing with you. Don't get so cocky! …I have yet to show you the full extent of my powers…!"

"You know this very well, don't you? What it means when your illusionary powers are countered by another's. It means that you have completely lost control over your own perceptions." Phantasma suddenly wrapped itself around Mammon's neck and started strangling him.

Mammon shrieked and tried to pull the snake away but Mukuro wasn't done yet. "Come, shall I show you what this thing we call power really is?"

The room began to disappear and Mammon started falling. He screamed and Mukuro asked, laughing, "How does it feel like? Arcobaleno! This is my world!"

A black substance started pouring into Mammon's mouth and he started expanding, still shrieking. With a final scream, he exploded into wisps. "Mugyaaaa!"

The illusionary world disappeared and Mukuro landed on the floor neatly. He held up the completed ring, "Is this acceptable?"

The Cervello announced formally, "The Mist Ring now belongs to Chrome Dokuro. With that, the winner of this battle is Chrome Dokuro."

"That Viper was…"

"Ripped to pieces."

"How could you…you didn't have to go so far…" Tsuna asked hesitantly.

"Even now, you're still showing such sympathy for the enemy…just how naïve can you get, Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Mukuro asked. "There's no need to worry, I should say. That baby managed to escape. From the start, he had every intention of reserving enough energy to escape…he's a shrewd one, that Arcobaleno."

His tone then turned serious, "Rather than the baby, you should be much more worried about Jade. She is now in more danger than ever before."

"Eh? Aiko-chan?" Tsuna shrieked, "But I thought she was…or actually…"

"Now that you mention it... I haven't seen the girl since the beginning of the Ring Battles." Gokudera spoke up.

"What's happened to Hisui?" Yamamoto asked, his voice filled with worry and guilt. If something had happened to the girl and they hadn't even noticed until now, then how could they even be called friends?

But Mukuro was already speaking to the Varia. They seemed to have heard the middle-schoolers' side of the conversation however, and there was a tense feeling in the air.

* * *

><p>"What?" she mumbled. Her dream had been different this time. It wasn't anything that had happened to her. Or rather, she didn't think it was. She was already forgetting what she had seen. No, she had to remember. It was definitely important. What had happened in her dream?<p>

Suddenly the door slammed open. She flinched and tried to crawl back, but in a few quick strides, the man was in front of her and had grabbed her by the throat. He squeezed and focused. To her dismay, the collar shimmered into view. The familiar weight now hung around her throat once more. The last bit of freedom she had was gone.

The man laughed. "Your precious Viper is gone. What will you do now _Volpe_?"

He dropped the girl and trembling hands reached up to touch the collar. It wasn't an illusion; it was really back. Her eyes went blank. The man watched as the green in her eyes dimmed and was replaced little by little with yellow and grinned. "That's right my Volpe. Think of only killing and murder and death. That is your place in this world. That is how you will serve me."

The girl didn't respond.

"I am your master. You serve me and only me. You are mine to use Volpe."

"Yes master" she responded dully.

The man chuckled and then kicked her viciously in the stomach. "As expected, despite your progress, the sound of your voice still sickens me."

"Well then as promised, now that the collar is gone, you may see your so-called friends."

He took out a deck of cards, chose a few and threw them into the air. They floated above her for a moment before taking on the forms of five people. She stared at them blankly for a moment not recognizing who they were; she was so far gone.

_Jade. _ A voice whispered in her mind. It wasn't a gentle voice, nor was it very caring. In fact it sounded cold and arrogant. Manipulative even. So why was she so relieved to hear it?

She blinked. In front of her were the people she had wanted to see most. Mammon, Belphegor, Yamamoto, Hibari, and Tsuna. But not like this. These were just illusions of the people she loved. They couldn't offer the warmth she sought. She turned away from their images. The man frowned. This wasn't the reaction he wanted. She shouldn't even recognize them much less feel any emotion. "Volpe. Kill them."

The girl froze. She didn't want to obey that order. Even if they were illusions and fakes, she didn't want to see their images tainted with death. She shook her head, but the man simply repeated his order. "Kill them Volpe. _Your master commands you to._"

The girl could feel the effect his voice was having on her. Her mind was telling her to obey before she was hurt even more. _It's just getting rid of an illusion. And he won't punish you if you do it._ No. She couldn't. If she did that, it would be the equivalent of saying that it would be okay to kill them in a life or death situation.

The man seemed to think for a moment, "Hmm, perhaps you need to be stimulated first. Very well, kill them or be killed yourself Volpe."

The illusions fanned out around her. Her eyes filled with tears, she shook her head. Unbidden, words flew out of her mouth, pleading with him, "Please, no I don't want to hurt them. Don't make me do it. Please don't make me."

But the illusions continued to advance on her. And then the illusion of Hibari charged at her. She ducked under the swipe of his tonfas and backed away only to run into Yamamoto who swung his bat turned sword at her. She avoided his attack and turned to run away. At that moment, Tsuna in hyper dying will mode flew at her and threw a punch. She rolled out of the way only to be caught by a bunch of tentacles that rose out of the ground. They started to squeeze her more and more tightly. She clawed at them but they restrained her firmly. "Please stop" she begged, even as she was being crushed.

"_Kill them Volpe."_

The girl opened her mouth in a silent scream, the black haze appeared around the illusions and they exploded. She collapsed on the ground, mouth still open, but no sound came out.

The man grabbed her face and pulled it closer to him. "You are mine now and forever Volpe."

Blank unresponsive eyes stared back at him. He tossed her away from him and she tumbled limply on the ground.

The girl's eyes opened a while later. She slowly sat up and looked around. _Where am I? How did I get here? Who am I?_

She saw the chain that was on the ground and picked it up. She traced it back to where it was nailed in the ground and stared at it dumbly. It clattered to the ground and she shrank back at the sound. Nothing happened and she approached it again. Again it made the noise when she dropped it and again she was frightened by it. After a while of examining her surroundings, she felt her eyelids begin to droop. She curled up and fell asleep.

In her dreams, she could hear muffled voices crying out to her. She reached out, wanting to listen to what they had to say, but was pulled away. _You are mine Volpe. Forever._ Whimpering, she pushed away the voices subconsciously and retreated deeper into her mind.

* * *

><p>A boy with pitch black hair and slanted cold blue eyes was staring at her. He was wearing a white shirt, black pants, and a black jacket was draped on his shoulders. But what caught her attention was the things he was holding in his hands. While she wasn't sure what they were, it didn't look like he'd be very nice with them. "Volpe, kill him."<p>

The boy lunged forward to attack her. She lurched backwards to avoid the blow and focused on her power. The haze settled over the boy and he exploded. But even as the blood poured out of his wounds, he continued to run at her. One of his weapons came up to her throat and she fell backwards, trying to get away. Her hand came crashing down on his neck as he tried to attack her with only an arm. Immediately he went limp and she backed away, waiting for more orders.

"There is still another target Volpe."

A blonde with bangs covering his eyes. He was wearing a purple and black striped shirt with black pants. A long black coat was worn over this. She stared at him numbly for a moment. _What is this feeling? Why do I feel like I know him? Who is he?_

A sharp pain in her head brought her to her knees and she clutched it while staring at the person. The illusion snickered and then darted forward to attack her. He flung a handful of knives at her with deadly accuracy and she scrambled backwards to avoid them. "Why do you not kill him like the others Volpe?"

_There's something wrong with this. I shouldn't be attacking this person. Who is he?_

But she couldn't remember; something was preventing her from remembering. Her hands slipped down her head and came in contact with the collar. _Collar?_ The feel of the metal around her neck brought with it the long memories of pain and fear. But she had no time to dwell on them because the boy was attacking her again.

She jerked back, avoiding the knives that were flying at her. She could feel the power bubbling up within her and urging her to attack and defend herself. _No. This isn't right. I shouldn't be hurting this person. This person is…_

A sharp pain in her shoulder made her jerk up. One of the knives had hit its target. She clutched the knife in her hand and pulled it out painfully. It disappeared immediately. _An illusion. Those knives. _"Ushishishi time to die" the boy leered at her. Above her floated a whole mass of knives, dancing back and forth, controlled by his hand movements.

_Belphegor._

The name reverberated through her entire body and the wall that blocked out her memories shattered. She remembered how the illusion Mammon had cast on her had been broken, how the collar had appeared again, and how she had lost sight of herself. She stared up at the illusion and closed her eyes, waiting for it to finish her. _They're all gone. Everyone I love._

Instead, a familiar hand closed around her throat. "Why did you not finish him Volpe?" the man hissed angrily.

She scrabbled at his hand, choking. "How many times must I destroy your mind before you are satisfied, bitch?"

Her hands slowly fell to her sides, the lack of oxygen cutting off her movement. They brushed against the soft coat. Her hands slipped inside the pockets and savored the last bits of warmth the coat could offer. Her fingers brushed against something and she fingered it, unsure of what it was.

"_Um, what did you need Belphegor?" Jade asked hesitantly._

_The boy turned and grabbed her by the shoulders. She squeaked in surprise but stood still, waiting for whatever he was about to do. To her surprise, he pressed something into her hands. "You better keep this with you at all times, stupid girl. If you don't, Prince the Ripper will come and hunt you down."_

_He had given her one of his knives. "Why are you giving this to me?" she wondered out loud._

"_To make sure no one else tries to take you. That knife will tell them who you belong to. You're mine, understand."_

_She shook her head, confused, "What does that mean?"_

_He frowned, "Just don't let anyone else near you! Stab them with that knife if they try. The Prince will come and get you when that happens."_

It was the knife he had given her all those years ago. Tears filled her eyes as her vision went black and summoning every ounce of strength she had left in her, she took and plunged the knife into the man's chest.

He dropped her and clutched the wound. As he started coughing up blood, he gasped, "You stupid bitch, don't think this is the end…this body is only…temporary…I will come back…for you…"

She wasn't sure if it was because she was barely conscious herself or if it really happened, but she thought she saw a black haze leave the man's body and disappear. She lay on the ground, completely spent, and let darkness claim her. _Will you really come Belphegor?_

* * *

><p>"Stupid girl, wake up!" someone was yelling.<p>

_Don't sound so angry. I just want to sleep. _ She mumbled drowsily.

"I don't care how tired you are, you stupid girl! You better wake up or you'll die!"

Her eyes opened a crack at the mention of death and Belphegor's anxious face came into view above her. "You came" she murmured, "Thank you."

"Hisui!" another familiar voice yelled. "Put her down!"

"Ushishishi this girl is mine to begin with, peasant. I don't have to do anything I don't want to."

Yamamoto held his bamboo sword in an offensive position. "If you don't let her go, I'll have no choice but to attack."

Jade lifted her head up weakly, "Takeshi-chi? You're okay? Don't hurt them Takeshi-chi…"

"Eh? But, they're…"

"They're my family and I love them." She said with absolute confidence.

Yamamoto lowered his sword, "You…love them?"

Before she could respond, she was dropped on the ground unceremoniously. Bel growled, "If you were okay, you should've said so from the beginning, stupid peasant!"

She winced as the pain came back and Mammon floated over to place a small hand on her swollen cheek, "Muu, what did that man do to you?"

She flinched at the mention of the man, but shook her head. It all seemed like a nightmare now that they were there with her, "It's okay, Mammon-tama, I think."

She would have nightmares for sure for awhile, but she had already summoned the courage to defy the man. He no longer controlled her and that in and of itself was enough for her to move on. The collar that remained would be a reminder of that.

Mammon concentrated and the collar was hidden behind an illusion once more. "So that you don't have to worry about that during missions."

"Are you taking Hisui back with you so she can murder people?" Yamamoto asked furiously, "She's just a kid!"

They didn't notice the way Jade was trembling as she felt her neck and realized the collar was gone. "He's not gone. I couldn't do anything." she whispered under her breath, her eyes dull.

Mammon frowned and turned to see her start clawing at her own skin. "He's not gone and I'm a monster. I'm a monster! I killed them… I killed them all! I'm only able to kill and fight and murder! I'm a monster, a murderer."

She started screaming and the heated debate that Yamamoto and Belphegor were having stopped abruptly at the sound of her raised voice. She continued screaming, no longer aware that there were people nearby. Her mind was slowly being consumed by the guilt and the pain and fear that she had dealt with during the period of her imprisonment.

Squalo rolled in in his wheelchair and at the sight of the girl writhing on the girl, started roaring, "VOOIIII BEL WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HER? I TOLD YOU TO BE GENTLE DIDN'T I?"

"Ushishishi the Prince did nothing. The peasant started screaming after Mammon put that illusion back up."

Jade continued screaming and clawing at herself, and they all found themselves wondering, "What did that man do to her?"

"Muu maybe it was too shocking for the collar to disappear. But replacing it won't help her either." Mammon mused.

Bel grinned, "I guess the Prince will help out you commoners this once."

"Oi, what the hell are you gonna do?"" Squalo growled.

"I'm going to remind her who she should fear more" Bel snickered, "You all thought the Prince was bullying her as a kid, but really I was trying to make her forget that man." "No need for them to know the truth" he thought sneakily.

The boy sauntered over to the girl and pulled out one of his knives. He slammed it into the ground right in front of her eyes to get her attention. Jade immediately went silent, her eyes wide with fear. Then, soothingly, he pressed the knife into her hands and bent to whisper something no one else could hear in her ears. "_You're mine, remember._"

Then snickering at the looks on the faces of the other people present, he bent and pressed a kiss to her neck where her collar had been. She jerked up and blinked, her eyes clearing up. The yellow that had been predominant in her eyes a moment ago was slowly fading away. "What…happened?" she asked, confused.

She looked up to see Yamamoto shell-shocked, Mammon frowning, and Squalo glowering like never before. "YOU STUPID BRAT, WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING TO HER?"

Bel smirked and then turned and bit Jade on the side of the neck possessively. She squeaked in surprise, but the pain didn't bother her for some reason, "Um Belphegor, what are you doing?"

He pulled back to examine the prominent hickey he had left with pride, "Ushishishi nothing peasants should be concerned about."

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Here's Chapter 8! I hope the end makes up for all the torture Jade has gone through. :) Next chapter will be the future arc so look forward to that!

Oh! To explain the knife stabbing. Jade managed to get him in the lungs so it wasn't just like the power of love driving her on lol. She was trained by the Varia after all, so I thought that seemed reasonable enough.

I also couldn't come up with any good torture methods without having to change the rating to Mature so sorry if you were expecting something a bit more graphic ahaha... I hope the ending with Belphegor wasn't too cliched. I mean it obviously was...but in terms of writing, whether it was forced or not? I was trying to build up to it but I don't know if I did it very well. Feedback is appreciated?

Please read and review~ I can't tell you how much encouragement it gives me.


	9. Chapter 9: The Future

It took a scant week for Jade to recover in the hospital. It had been decided that she would stay at the hospital in Namimori and would return to the Varia when she was ready. During that time, she was supposed to rest and hopefully forget the experiences she had had. They all made sure to visit her whenever they could, but it seemed as if they had silently agreed to not ask her about her past. The telltale signs of worry were there of course; whenever Yamamoto wanted to bring something up and then hastily started talking about baseball instead, when Gokudera would get so agitated that he would go out for a smoke, when Tsuna wanted to say something but Reborn kicked him in the face. Jade could only apologize to them silently in her heart.

* * *

><p>"Kyoko, Haru, keep running as fast as you can and don't stop no matter what you hear!" Jade shouted. She fiddled with another ring and started to slip it onto her finger but a hand stopped her, "Don't Hisui-aneki, you know what will happen if you use those flames too much!"<p>

"Lambo, right now we really don't have a choice!"

He snatched the ring away from her, "No, we just have to keep running!"

There was an explosion of purple smoke and when it cleared, a younger Jade was standing there, confused. "Um…where am I?"

"You're Hisui-aneki from 10 years ago!" I-Pin asked in disbelief.

Lambo looked worried and torn but he shoved the ring he had just taken back into the girl's hands, "Keep this with you at all times."

Two shadows appeared above them and launched attacks at them. Only realizing that there was some insane killing intent coming from somewhere above them, Jade pushed the two grown up versions of the children back home away from the danger. Pain seared into her and she screamed at the intense heat that was eating away at her skin. Spotting an older Kyoko and Haru nearby, she yelled, "Run! It's dangerous!"

"Don't panic, Lambo! I'll leave Kyoko, Haru, and Hisui-aneki to you! She can't fight in her condition!" I-Pin shouted.

"It's too reckless with your body like that I-Pin!" Lambo replied, his face twisted with worry.

Before they could move, another attack came flying at them. This time Jade flung out a hand and a large patch of black spread above them, exploding when the enemy's attack came into contact with it. They were all blown back from the explosion, but when they looked up again, Yamamoto was standing in front of them, his sword raised protectively.

"Aniki" a long purple-haired teenager asked, "Who is this guy?"

"He _might _be on the hit list," An older man replied gruffly, "I mean, how am I supposed to remember everyone I'm going to kill?"

The teen grinned, "For sure" and then launched an attack on the Rain Guardian, who easily blocked his movements and then attempted an attack of his own. "What's with this guy? My dark scythe!"

Meanwhile behind them, Jade had met up with Tsuna and Gokudera of the past. They were shocked to see her there, "Aiko-chan from ten years ago? What are you doing here?" Tsuna shrieked.

"I don't know but it's already been five minutes! Shouldn't I have already gone back Tsu-kun?"

"Anyways, no time for that now! We've gotta go make sure that idiot cow and I-Pin are safe!" Gokudera growled.

The two kids were a bit battered but they hadn't sustained any life threatening injuries. "Didn't I tell you Tsuna will definitely come to rescue us?" Haru asked. The ten years older Haru seemed more mature and feminine but as she spoke again, "Hahi! Haru seems to have gotten taller all of a sudden," she was as ditzy as ever.

Yamamoto gave a quick explanation of flames as he defended against the two enemies' attacks. "Oh no! Kyoko is missing!" I-Pin suddenly cried.

"Could it have been…"

"That blast just now!"

"Takeshi, I don't have a ring, can I still use flames?" Jade asked urgently.

He turned to her with a pained expression on his face, "Hisui…your flame is different. I don't have time to explain right now, but it's better if you don't use it too much."

The two enemies coordinated their attack and sent one large inferno flying at them. Although Yamamoto managed to defend, Tsuna was blown into one of the buildings from the force of the attack. Gokudera furiously tried opening a box he had gotten from his older self, with no results. "Imagine a flame Gokudera. Try to picture your dying will as a flame. Imagine your determination as a flame." Yamamoto urged him quietly.

"My determination as a flame?"

"You can do it. In fact, you already have!" Yamamoto turned back to face his opponents calmly, "But, let me handle this. I'm worried about Tsuna. So back down, Gokudera."

The two bickered a little but just as Yamamoto was about to make his finishing blow, there was an explosion of purple smoke. And when it cleared, the ten years younger Yamamoto was standing there, bat in hand, a confused look on his face. Around them, Haru, I-Pin, and Lambo all turned younger as well.

After a moment of confusion, Gokudera suddenly yelled commandingly, "Listen carefully! You gotta get out of here, fast!"

The three of them only stared at him and made questioning sounds. "Don't just say "hahi" stupid woman! It's the only way!"

"What do you mean by 'stupid'?" Haru yelled back.

"Whatever! Just run! Or else…" he looked up where the remaining enemy was preparing to fling another attack at them. Jade flung up a hand and an inky shield appeared above them, barely managing to stop the attack. But the boy sent another attack at them right away, successfully catching them off guard.

"Only managed to save…I-Pin… shit!" Gokudera mumbled as he got up slowly.

To his relief, Yamamoto had managed to protect both Haru and Lambo. Jade was getting up next to him as well. "That baseball moron…he saved them without even knowing the situation…heh. You're not bad."

The boy above them cheered, "Yeaa, I got rid of the sword guy!"

"Jerkwad!" Gokudera shouted, taking out his weapons.

"What's that, _dynamite_? You can't beat me with that!"

Gokudera spotted the box that he had dropped a moment ago and a glint of determination appeared in his eyes. Jade moved in front of him and muttered, "I'll try to buy you as much time as possible, Gokudera-san, but please hurry."

She closed her eyes to calm herself and then looked up and focused on her target. "I just need to distract him for awhile" she thought.

The boy flung another attack at them. She ran forward and a small series of black blurs intercepted the attack, causing it to explode and cover the area in smoke. She continued running away from Gokudera while causing little explosions around the enemy. The boy followed her, yelling angrily. But the energy needed to use her power was massive and she was quickly being drained. She tripped over some rubble and the boy threw another attack at her, yelling triumphantly. She raised a hand, her mind filled only with the idea of buying time for Gokudera. There was a flash and the area around her was suddenly covered by a light shade of blue. The attack was dispelled when it hit the barrier of blue and the boy gasped, "What did you do, you bitch?"

She shook her head, unsure herself. The blue reminded her of the black power that she could use, but it was much more soothing, calm, and easy to control. While she was thinking, her enemy decided that it would be easier to take care of the other target first and flew off. "Ah, wait!" she called, "Come back here!"

She forced her tired boy up and started stumbling towards where Gokudera was. She arrived to see their enemy blown back by a strong wave of red. Relieved, she slowly rejoined them.

* * *

><p>"So, you've all come here." Reborn said, "You must have been shocked at many things. I have to tell you what's going to happen from here on. Please listen carefully."<p>

"But first" he turned to look at Jade, "Do you need treatment?"

She shook her head; the wounds had already started healing on their own. "Flames are strong" she muttered, "These heal much more slowly than flesh wounds."

"In that case, Giannini needs to talk to you privately Jade. It's about your flames."

_I knew it; mine are different._

She followed where Reborn was pointing and found Giannini waiting for her. "Ah Jade-san, I've been waiting for you. Let me see those wounds."

"No, they heal on their own" she said hesitantly.

"In this time, due to your special flame, your powers are much weaker and you heal more slowly. So we created an ointment that will help you heal."

She reluctantly allowed him to apply the ointment on her burns and watched as they quickly closed up. "Unfortunately, they still leave scars. We never figured out why that was." He said apologetically.

"Giannini-san" she approached the subject carefully, "You said my flames were different? How are they…what does that mean?"

* * *

><p>That night, as she slept in the girls' side of the quarters, she listened to the steady breathing of the girls around her. The sound was soothing, and took her mind away from the everything she had learned that day. Would she become a monster fighting in this era? And what happened after she did? Would she be imprisoned? Killed? She shut her eyes tightly. Just as she had thought that she had finally gotten away from her problems, they came back to haunt her again.<p>

_Was this what he meant when he said he'd be back? That man…Will I never be free of him?_

* * *

><p>"I heard that Sawada and Gokudera have managed to ignite the flames in your rings, is that true?"<p>

"But of course!" Gokudera grinned.

"Let's see it, then."

"Well…about that…I… don't really remember what I did…" Tsuna stuttered.

"Imagine your resolution as a flame!" Gokudera said, staring at his ring fiercely. Nothing happened and Lal Mirch started to lecture them, but a moment later, Gokudera's ring lit up with bright red flames.

Yamamoto looked at his ring, "So…resolution into flames, eh? You mean, like this?" His ring lit up with bright blue flames.

"Ah. That's the same type of flame that I have" Jade said pointing, "But I don't have a ring to light flames with" she continued glumly. Inside, her fingers played with the ring Lambo had handed her. The ring she was forbidden to use.

"Oh, I forgot. Giannini said that the Yamamoto of this time period had taken a couple of rings and kept them here. Here." He handed her 2 rings.

She took them and looked them over. The first one had some sort of gem, possibly a sapphire, and the second one was in the shape of antlers?

"She slipped on the sapphire ring and focused. A dark blue flame lit up and Yamamoto high fived her, "We have the same flame Hisui-chi!"

She smiled at him, but was distracted by the difference in the shades of blue. Was hers darker because of the death that followed her everywhere? Behind her Tsuna was struggling to light his ring. She let her flame die and closed her eyes.

"I want to protect everyone!" Tsuna said. His ring lit up with a powerful sky flame. Jade joined everyone in congratulating him. They then took turns trying to open the box that Lal had given them. But when it opened, wrapped in a Mammon chain, was a single battered pacifier. It was identical to the ones that Reborn and Mammon wore.

Lal snatched the pacifier away from them and rushed out of the room. Jade immediately gave chase, a question weighing her down. "Lal-san!" she called in the hall, "That pacifier, who did it belong to?"

The woman didn't turn around but she answered, "It isn't who you think it is. But that person is gone as well in this time period."

"Eh…" the girl stopped, "Mammon-tama is…gone?"

No one noticed, but at dinner that night, there were two very quiet girls.

* * *

><p>"Tsuna-san!" Haru yelled anxiously, bursting into the room, "It's big trouble!"<p>

"We know, we were just discussing-"

"No! Kyoko-chan is missing!"

"What-? What did you say?"

"Have you looked everywhere?" Yamamoto asked.

"She left a note! 'I need to go home, just once. I'll bring some snacks back for Lambo-kun too' it says." Haru continued without pausing, "And that's not all! Aiko-chan isn't here either!"

* * *

><p>Jade quietly followed Kyoko as the girl ran through the alleys. They arrived at her house but there were Millefiore people everywhere. The girl backed up and Jade was forced to hide as well. Suddenly another person grabbed Kyoko. Unsure of whether or not to interfere, she watched. It turned out to be ten years later Kurokawa Hana. The two had a brief reunion, and then quickly hurried to her house. Sure she would be safe there and that Tsuna would be coming to pick the girl up soon, Jade left and started to hurry back to the base.<p>

As she finally slipped into the forest, she heard the tweeting of a bird. The bird fluttered down to where she was hiding and perched on her head comfortably, chirping, "Hibari Hibari."

She giggled, "Hey little one, why are you saying the Disciplinary Committee President's name. He'll bite you to death, you know."

The bird took off and a second later something rapped her on the head. She swallowed the pain, struggling not to yell, and looked up in alarm, her hands reaching for her rings. To her shock, Hibari Kyouya was standing behind her. "Ah! Hibari-san!" she whisper shouted.

The man didn't respond, so she slowly got up and then took the time to look at him properly. He hadn't changed much in terms of looks, although now he was in a nice suit instead of the school uniform. Jade stared at him quizzically. Why wasn't her heart beating more quickly? _Do I not love Hibari-san that way? Takeshi said I'd be nervous which I am, but my heart isn't doing anything? But I do want to impress him... and I want him to like me…so why?_

He looked at her, eye brow raised, "Aiko Hisui, are you done staring?"

"Oh yes" she replied, embarrassed at having been caught, "Um, Hibari-san, where are you going?"

"To Namimori Shrine. It seems as if some herbivores have decided to break some rules there." He continued to stride forward confidently, "Keep up Aiko Hisui."

She picked up the pace and followed him. Suddenly the forest ended, she was pushed back and Hibari spoke up, "I'll give you a hint about what you want to know. They came over from the past."

From within the bushes, Jade peered out. And bit back a scream. Yamamoto and Gokudera were lying on the ground, covered in wounds. "I'm not so stupid as to be replaced, of course" Hibari continued, even as he closed his box with a sharp click.

"…You seem to know about a lot of things…but, if you want to join the fight, the rule is to give a name first."

"There's no need for that" Hibari replied, Hibari taking off from its perch on his shoulder, "I'm in a very bad mood. So, right here, right now, I'll bite you to death."

Jade didn't pay attention to the rest of their talk; she was too busy trying to see if she could see Yamamoto breathing or not. Gokudera seemed to be moving, albeit painfully, but the baseball player was completely still.

In front of her, the battle broke out and caught her attention. She watched in awe as Hibari demonstrated his prowess in fighting. The man was elegant but deadly in his movements, not wasting any unnecessary energy. He reminded her of Squalo when he fought. At the thought, she quickly sobered and continued watching. The battle came to an end and she threw herself out of the bushes and ran to the injured boys. To her surprise, someone else was already there examining them. Upon closer inspection, the man looked familiar as well. Tsuna had caught up to them and the man introduced himself, "I'm Kusakabe Tetsuya, Hibari's subordinate."

Hibari started leaving, but Lal stopped him, "Wait, we have casualties. It's too dangerous for us to move them over such a long distance to return to the hatch."

"Don't worry about that. We will be using our own entrance."

Hibari slipped on another ring, grabbed Jade by the arm and then nonchalantly walked through part of the shrine, disappearing into the solid surface. The girl stumbled along after him. "Um, Hibari-san" she asked hesitantly, "Why are you taking me along with you?" They were already far away from the group they had left behind and were approaching Hibari's private quarters.

"I am researching your special power as well Aiko Hisui" he replied calmly, glancing at her.

"Oh" she went quiet and followed him into a Japanese style room. "Wash up in here Aiko Hisui. You will be staying here while you are in this time period."

"Eh?" startled, she turned to look at him. He avoided her questioning gaze and excused himself rather quickly.

* * *

><p>With the location of the Millefiore base found, it was only a matter of time before they would have to attack it. They only had so much time to train and become stronger. Which was why they were in the training room, being paired up with their own personal tutors. So far, Yamamoto was with Reborn and Gokudera was with Bianchi. Reborn shot Tsuna and the boy immediately entered his hyper dying will mode. It had been awhile since she had seen Tsuna in action, but the power of his flames radiated through the room and she could tell that the boy had definitely become stronger. Tsuna looked over at Lal Mirch, "Shall we start?"<p>

"I'm no longer training you" she replied. The two started arguing, but were cut off when something came spinning at Tsuna.

Tsuna dodged and propelled himself around the training room, avoiding the attacks. "If you don't pay attention, you will die" a voice said.

Hibari Kyouya walked into the room, "I'm going to pry open all of your abilities."

As Tsuna struggled to fend off Hibari's box weapon, the man taunted him further, "Exactly as the baby said. This level of power is a far cry from your future self."

Rising to the challenge, Tsuna attempted to freeze the hedgehog, but Hibari was one step of him. It began to spread its flames and surround the boy, until it was a perfect globe. The onlookers in the room started panicking, but Reborn calmly told them to leave and start training. "Um, Reborn-san. Who is my tutor?" Jade asked, confused and still worried about Tsuna.

The baby didn't answer and walked out, the others slowly dispersing as well. She stood there, unsure of what to do when Hibari spoke up. "Aiko Hisui. In my quarters, choose a weapon for yourself and then wait in the next training room."

* * *

><p>"A weapon from Hibari-san's room…" Jade thought to herself as she walked back to Hibari's side of the facilities. She tried to imagine it and immediately the image that popped into her head was a wall lined with polished tonfas of all sizes with all sorts of detachable accessories.<p>

She shook her head to get the image out of her head. That was just scary to even think about. Hibari. With an inexhaustible supply of tonfas. She shuddered and rubbed her head, where she could feel where he had bonked her.

She walked into his Japanese style room and looked around. To her relief, there wasn't a wall of tonfas. In fact, the room seemed perfectly normal. "Maybe there was a switch or something", she thought. She walked around the room, looking for something that she could use when something on the side of the desk caught her attention.

They weren't anything special; rather they looked like two short matching sticks made of steel. She picked one up and unsheathed it; to her surprise, it was heavier than it looked but still light enough to use easily. The handle was thicker and covered in a soft fabric and right above it were two hooks that came out in opposite directions, making it look like a retarded trident. She gave the handle a gentle tug and a dagger slid out of the already sharp weapon. She slid it back in and gave it a few test swings and stabs. It was about the same size her baton had been, the same weight as well. Quickly she sheathed the weapon and grabbing both of the weapons, hurried to the training room, clutching her prize to her.

She entered the room to find Hibari already waiting for her. He smirked when he saw her weapon of choice and signaled for her to sit down. She did so and then immediately started launching questions at him, her excitement about the newfound weapon showing through. "Hibari-san, what type of weapon is this? I found it on your desk but I've never seen you use one such as this."

"It is a Manji design sai, similar to the jutte that was used in the Edo period by police officers. They are generally used in pairs. The pair that you picked up is the pair that the older you had custom made a few days ago. The baby delivered them when I arrived."

Her eyes gleamed with excitement, "Teach me to use them."

The man smiled, pleased at her interest, "That is why I am your tutor."

* * *

><p>"VOOOOIIIIIIII! Are your necks still attached? Fucking lousy brats!" the man on screen roared.<p>

Jade felt tears spring to her eyes. _Squalo-nii._ She missed the Varia; she wondered if they were trying to find her in the past. Not everyone in the room was as pleased to see the long haired man however, with Lal glowering at the volume, and Tsuna and Gokudera shell shocked at his appearance. Yamamoto however, seemed genuinely glad that the man was okay, making her wonder once again, what had happened during the time she had been…incapacitated.

The man continued speaking, "Get this fucking lousy brats! Stay where you are! Even if you pick up the signal of a new ring outside!"

From behind the man, there came a laugh and a head of familiar blond hair, "If you wait patiently, a very simple instruction will be there soon. Until then, be good and stay put, little kids."

Belphegor. Jade felt her heartbeat speed up and her hand automatically went up to her neck, where he had bitten her. She had spent many a night in the hospital pondering what he had meant when he had bitten her. Although the mark had healed, it had of course left a scar there. When she thought about it, she could still feel the tingling sensation it had given her. Now seeing him in the future, she felt a bubbly nervous sensation in her stomach.

On screen, the two assassins started bickering, which turned into a full blown fight soon enough. With a last "I hope we can meet again in this lifetime. Until then, make sure you don't die!" the screen went blank and everyone in the room started speaking all at once. Jade nervously played with the bottom of her shirt, her hands trembling. She wasn't sure what was happening, but the symptoms were similar to what Yamamoto had told her in the past. _What's going on? Why am I thinking this way? Isn't Belphegor…family? _ But she realized even as she thought it that she had never quite considered him family in the same way. The revelation only left her even more confused.

Suddenly the door opened and a man stepped in, carrying a girl. "Sasagawa Ryohei. Gate crashing."

After a heartfelt reunion, where Kyoko was reassured and then sent out with Haru, they got down to business. With her heart still thumping, Jade listened in on the conversation. "The instruction to those of us here, the Tenth Boss's family, is this. In five days' time, we will raid the Millefiore's branch in Japan."

* * *

><p>"If he's cut off all the power he was channeling to Chrome, we must face the fact that the worst has befallen Mukuro" Bianchi said grimly.<p>

Jade felt a chill go through her. Mukuro, the man who had possessed her and attempted to make her hurt her friends. She thought she had hated him. But he had warned her of the man's coming as well. Was he an ally or an enemy? She wasn't sure. But hearing that he could be dead, was nevertheless troubling.

"In any case, it looks like Chrome won't be joining the battle in five days time" Reborn stated.

"Don't worry" Lal said, standing up, "I will stand in for Chrome."

"There's no way we can count on you for that. Right now, you're exhausted just from sitting down." Reborn said seriously.

The woman began denying it, but he cut her off, "Don't force yourself. I can tell just by looking at your face. Your body has absorbed too much of the Non Trinisette radiation. It's breaking down, isn't it?"

"Shut up! What do you know? You came from the past!" Lal threw back at him.

"I do know. I have experienced enough of the Non Trinisette radiation above ground. I also know of your recklessness in everything you do."

"But, the ones emitting the Non Trinisette radiation are the Millefiore! If we don't take down those people, this world will never return to normal!" Lal yelled.

"Uh…regarding that," a small voice broke in, "We haven't been able to identify what is causing the Non Trinisette radiation contamination above ground. While we think the source is most likely the Millefiore, there's no definite evidence…" Giannini interjected.

"NO! THOSE PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE!" Lal shouted angrily, "For Colonello, and Viper, and Skull… THOSE PEOPLE KILLED ALL OF THEM!"

Jade felt as if someone had poured cold water over her. Mammon was dead. There was no mistaking what the woman had said. Her suspicions had been confirmed. _Mammon-tama was dead. The person who had named her. Was dead._ She sat quietly, holding back the rage that had suddenly spread in her. Lal had collapsed and they all crowded around her to help her. "Sawada…It's five more days… with all of our fighting power under such terrible conditions, I can guess what you're going to say… I will convey the message to the top to cease battle operations." Ryohei said grimly.

Lal continued to struggle, "It's just anemia!"

Jade stood up suddenly, her chair scraping back, startling all of them. "Tsu-kun" she said quietly, "You're the boss of the Vongola so I can't argue with your decision." She stared at her trembling hands, "But if you're going to back out of this, it'll be the last order from you that I follow."

The fact that the usually quiet girl had voiced such an opinion showed just how important this was. The boy looked at all of them, their tense, strained, stressed forms, and then said, "No…let's do it." He continued to speak logically, "If we go to the enemy's hideout, we may be able to return to the past. But it's not just that…I think we'd be able to get a lead on Mukuro as well. And, we might also be able to understand what this Non Trinisette is all about…But I feel that if we take our time for either, we may already be too late."

There was silence as everyone thought over what he was saying. "Besides, I feel that I don't want to prolong the current state of affairs any longer. For all our friends here in Namimori, of course. And for Chrome, and Lal Mirch" He clenched his fists, "Things are not supposed to be like that at all!"

Suddenly he realized what he was saying and started fidgeting, "Uhm…that is…That's just what I feel…I mean…In any case," turning serious again, he stated, "We only have five days left. Don't waste even a moment of it."

The assembled audience replied as one. "Yes sir!"

* * *

><p>It was the last day of training. Everyone had been mastering and improving their fighting techniques, Jade as well. Although she was well prepared and had powered up considerably, she was still nervous about the raid. After teaching her what he could, Hibari had left her to train by herself. She had discovered many different ways to use her rain flames, but had left her special flames alone. She was very aware of their presence, however, constantly urging her to kill.<p>

She exited the training rooms, still caught up in her thoughts, when an arm wrapped around her waist. In her high strung state, she didn't pause to ask questions. Using what Squalo had taught her, she flung the person over her shoulder. Or meant to. Instead, the person grappling with her stopped her and pushed her against the wall. She looked up and gasped, realizing her mistake, "Hibari-san!"

He smirked down at her, "What were you trying to do?"

Stuttering, she replied, "Uh, I wasn't…I was just…"

He grinned and bent closer to her ear, whispering, "Make sure you come back alive tomorrow."

"Oh! I will! Definitely! I'll-"She was cut off when he leaned forward suddenly and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

The girl stayed perfectly still, eyes wide and unblinking. When the man pulled away, she asked, "Um…Hibari-san? What are you doing?"

The man murmured in her ear, "In a different future,those herbivores may have claimed your firsts, but in this future, I will change what I can."

He bent down to kiss her again, but she pushed him away reluctantly. Although she wasn't sure why, she knew that she couldn't let him do this. The pained look in the man's eyes spoke volumes however, and her grip on his shirt tightened. Unable to meet his eyes, she muttered, "I'm sorry…I can't…"

He sighed and pulled away, "Return safely tomorrow, my predator."

Her eyes widened at the name he had called her, but before she could question him, he had already left. Still dazed by what had happened, she let the others push her to the kitchen where their feast was waiting for them.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

It's been awhile since I've updated but here's the next chapter! Hopefully it doesn't disappoint?

Please read and review~


	10. Chapter 10: Battle for the Truth

"The number of personnel in the base is much less than what we estimated. Looks like Hibari's decoy worked considerably well." Lal said, her goggles scanning the area in front of them.

"I hope he's all right…Hibari-san…" Tsuna worried.

"He's okay Tsu-kun" Jade reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Hibari-san wouldn't lose so easily."

"Oi woman, we don't have time to be all lovey dovey about that asshole" Gokudera growled.

She blushed furiously, opening her mouth to retort but they had already started moving. They found the door to the next room they needed to enter. Lal slipped in and scanned the area. "All right. It's fine. There doesn't seem to be anything…Wait!"

They peered into the room, worried. The woman growled and then suddenly fired. There was an explosion and they rushed in to find the woman kneeling on the ground, clutching a bleeding wound on her shoulder. From somewhere else in the room, another voice spoke, "You manage to see through the pattern of these randomly multiplying targets, and devise a counter within a hair's breadth. As expected from an Arcobaleno failure."

The person snapped and the room lit up, revealing a boy in a hat and cape floating above them. "That outfit belongs to the Magician's Doll. Are you Ginger Bread?" Lal questioned.

"I no longer go by the name. I'm the vice-captain of the Millefiore's 8th Squad now. I have a duty to report to my superiors about all of you being here." The boy smirked, "Still, killing all here wouldn't be a bad idea either. Just like what I did to that Colonello of yours."

"D-did he say Colonello?"

"What did you do to my master? How much I trash you will depend on your answer!" Ryohei roared angrily.

"Fufu you seem to have gotten the wrong idea. Even for the seven people reputed to be the most powerful, the cursed Arcobaleno babies, they drop like dead flies when exposed to the Non Trinisette radiation. It's such a tedious matter really. Why would I bother to kill him personally?" The boy's voice turned cold, "All I did was show my most cruel smile, while I suggested ways to kill him. And then, I watched, that's all."

Ryohei cursed, but Lal stood up ominously. "Back off Sasagawa. I will take this one." They could all feel the anger coursing off her body, but the woman remained calm. Ginger Bread snapped his fingers and suddenly a barrier of spider webs appeared between them and Lal Mirch.

Trapped on the other side of the barrier, they could only watch as Lal battled the boy. She managed to restrain him with her centipedes and growled, "Who was responsible for killing Colonello? Spit it out."

"What's that? It's bothering you, after all. I'm not telling." He smirked.

The centipedes tightened and started pulling the boy apart. "Those centipedes are like vices that are squeezing your arms and legs. If you don't want to lose those arms, tell me now." The woman stated coldly.

The boy screamed and then giggled, "Fooled ya!"

All of a sudden wounds started appearing all over the woman's body, causing blood to gush out everywhere. The boy's limbs came off easily and he continued floating in midair, laughing. Meanwhile, spiders had begun pouring out of Lal's body. The boy taunted them even as they figured out his attacks. He continued snapping his fingers and more and more spiders poured out of the woman's body. Laughing, Ginger Bread said, "This is so much fun. Let me thank you by telling you this, Lal Mirch. At the time of his death, Colonello was fighting together with the Arcobaleno, Viper. Colonello died because he shielded Viper."

Jade stiffened and her eyes narrowed. The boy continued speaking, "The guy seems to like taking other people's places, doesn't he. I heard, that the same thing happened the day the Arcobaleno were born, didn't it? It was a masterpiece, really. Viper was saved, but when he realized he had no chance of winning…he took his own life, and died too."

Jade clenched her fists, her entire body trembling from rage. And yet the boy still continued speaking, "It's such a laugh, isn't it. Viper was an idiot, but this was a real showcase of Colonello's nature. He's just a nosy dead weight. That corrupted pacifier you've been holding onto is also the price you paid for his help, wasn't it? His plans always backfired. The backfire man Colonello! Still, you've had such a tragic life, haven't you? Poor Lal Mirch. It's all the fault of that one Arcobaleno, that nosy fool, that backfire Colonello!"

Lal's voice was shaking with anger as she growled, "…Take that back…" She stared at her pacifier and suddenly it lit up brightly. "Either you retract that insult to Colonello or you die. Your choice, Ginger Bread."

"Well, even if you're an imperfect version, you're still an Arcobaleno. I thought your corrupted pacifier had already become useless. But, too bad this last spurt of yours came too late. When I snap my fingers, all my spiders are going to burst out and your body will be torn asunder. The end."

They all started shouting in horror, but Jade focused on Lal. "Please, you can do it Lal-san" she thought furiously.

Ginger Bread snapped and there was silence. Lal stood up slowly, "Indeed I am a failed version. When my body was affected by the incomplete curse, my constitution underwent a distorted transformation. It even changed the wave energy flowing inside my body into the mist and cloud attributes. But the pacifier cannot be changed. This blue pacifier was not supposed to be Colonello's. I was supposed to receive it. In exchange for my life, the flames released are…" Lal's body began to burn bright blue, "Flames of the rain attribute."

Ryohei explained how things were, but Tsuna was still confused, "Bu-but… Lal is not using a box weapon. Instead, her whole body is surrounded by flames…"

"This is only the second time I've seen that too…Flames emitting from a person's body…" Ryohei said, glancing at Jade.

Going at full power, Lal attacked Ginger Bread who seemed overwhelmed. She grabbed him in midair, her centipedes wrapping around the both of them. "This is your last chance. Take it back or die. Choose."

"No you stupid woman. Who's going to say that? These little restraints are nothing if I were to be serious with you. How naïve. Paa." But it seemed as if the boy couldn't move and suddenly the centipedes stabbed him.

"But…is this all right? If this carries on you won't find out who really killed Colonello….""

"Even if I let you live, you won't talk anyway. I'll find out myself." She growled.

The boy laughed, "You hateful woman…Ahh…That was fun…"

"Get down!" Lal suddenly shouted.

They all ducked at the large explosion. As the smoke cleared, they realized the spider webs were gone and rushed over to where Lal was. "You managed to shield yourself with the centipede just in time?" Gokudera asked.

"That's right" she replied, clutching her wounds.

"You're really incredible Lal Mirch. You defeated him extremely nicely. At least that's one part of my master's revenge taken." Ryohei said.

"…He's not defeated yet" the woman sighed, "Look."

They glanced over at the body. "Wha? A doll?"

"That's the reason why Ginger is called the Magician's Doll. Until now, nobody has ever gotten close enough to strike directly at him. He's a sinister assassin. He must also have been witness to the dispute that destroyed his family several years ago."

"Oi, Lal Mirch. It's about time you tell us everything, isn't it? About the mystery of the Arcobaleno." Gokudera said.

"…I refuse."

"Why you! You can't keep carrying the burden all by yourself! Why won't you tell us anything?"

"Say whatever you want, but I won't change my mind. If you really want to know, ask Yamamoto."

As they were about to confront the baseball boy, the alarms above them started ringing loudly. "That damn Ginger. He must have reported us, just as he said he would" Lal cursed.

As they ran, they tried to question Yamamoto about the Arcobaleno, but the boy's mouth was shut firmly.

"You guys go ahead without me." Lal said.

"Lal! Is it your…condition?" Tsuna asked, worried.

"I'll follow later. The fight with Ginger was a little too rough."

"Is your body…in pain?"

"I'm fine. Just go already. I'm not going to be the one to slow you down."

As one they all responded, "No way!"

She looked at them, surprised, "You've got to be kidding me. We've taken such little things into account already! This operation is a success only if we return with everyone!"

The woman was speechless.

"They've started to close the gates along the main route. One of the simulation patterns had predicted this move from the enemy, but…In a such a situation we're supposed to head for the next point while Lal Mirch stayed behind as a decoy."

"That won't work…" Yamamoto mused.

"Ahh…Well…leave that to me. According to the plan, the decoy needs to have mobility…So, I think I'm the best choice for the job…"

"That's true…"

"But Boss!"

"I'll be fine! I'll meet up with you guys later. Gokudera-kun, look after Lal please."

Gokudera agreed, sobbing about helping him if he needed anything at all. Tsuna rushed off a moment later. The rest of them got up and prepared to go. Jade turned to Lal, "Lal-san. I promise I'll find that Ginger Bread and make him tell me what really happened."

The woman looked questioningly at the girl, and saw the bright burning fiery in her eyes that she had hid up until now. "I'll get the truth out of him. Out of the real him. I promise!"

The woman nodded, "I'll entrust you with that then."

* * *

><p>Ryohei had just defeated Baishana and they were nearing their goal when the entire base started shaking. The floors started moving and in a split second, Jade, Yamamoto, and Gokudera Ryohei were separated three different ways.<p>

By the time the rooms stopped moving, Jade was alone in an unknown part of the base. She checked the map she had been given and was perplexed to find herself on a completely floor. Ignoring the sudden turn of events, she continued to proceed to where the room where the white machine would be. "I'm in Dock 3 now" she thought, "How long will it take to get to where I need to be…"

Suddenly she heard a noise and a door on the side of the room opened. Silhouetted in the doorway, was a familiar figure. _Ginger Bread._

"What's this? You're not the Vongola Tenth. But you were there earlier when I was fighting Lal Mirch. Fufu how boring." The boy spoke through his transmitter, "Hey Shouichi, what should I do with this intruder?"

The boy's eyes lit up and laughed, "Roger." He then turned to the girl, "I get to play with you for a bit, but then I have to go take care of the Vongola Tenth.

Jade breathed in and out, calming herself. She stared directly at him, "You won't reach Tsu-kun."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Because I'm going to defeat you right here right now" Jade replied, and suddenly she was running at the boy, weapons ready. Her rain flame covered sai swept up and smashed into the boy's broom. He smirked and threw a couple of sun flames at her. She immediately dodged, jumping backwards quickly. The spiders matured and crawled out on their webs. The webs covered the doorway, separating her from the boy and she growled angrily. The boy laughed and said, "I have to go now. If you're still alive when I come back, I'll play with you some more."

She had no time to reply because the spiders were growing at an alarming rate and charging at her. One of them leaped at her, pinchers extended; she swiped at it with one of her sai, slicing it neatly in half. To her horror, from inside the cut up spider, more started hatching and maturing. She switched tactics immediately, flipping her sai so that the blunt end would make contact with the spiders and started batting them away. But it seemed as if the spiders were self destructing and giving birth to more and more. "At this rate, the entire place will be filled with these things!"

She focused and her rain flames started radiating outwards. Concentrating, she made a large bubble around her. Any spiders that came into contact with it immediately stopped moving. She continued to expand the range of the flames until all the spiders had stopped moving. Gasping at the amount of energy it took to stop all of them, she stopped to lean against the wall and catch her breath for a moment. It seemed however, that she wouldn't have long to rest, because in the doorway, stood her enemy, waiting for her. "Ah we finished off that Vongola so quickly fufu. Now it's your turn Jade."

The spider webs disappeared and he stepped into the room. "You're quite the interesting one, aren't you? You've got rain flames but you've also got those other horrid things that you're not supposed to use. I wonder if I can get you to use them though. I want to see what a monster looks like."

Jade frowned, "Someone who just got beaten doesn't have the right to brag like that."

"Hey you, what do you mean by that?"

"You're not the same thing that came by earlier. Lal-san said that Ginger Bread only used dolls to fight so I took notice. The first one that she fought was younger, with sparkly brown eyes and hair. He was wearing a black hat and coat. The second one that I saw that left these spiders everywhere was older, his eyes were colder, his hair was a lighter brown, and he was wearing white. Both of them were sort of mechanical in their movements. You might be similar to them, but you're the real Ginger Bread, aren't you?"

"Mmm wow, you're the first person who's ever been able to tell all my dolls apart so clearly. You're right, I am real. If I don't get out and exercise every once and awhile, I'll get lazy, you know? Well, it doesn't matter, since I'll beat you anyways."

The boy suddenly smirked and snapped. Jade gasped in shock when her foot suddenly started gushing blood and spiders poured out. "Every time you touched one of my spiders earlier, they left some eggs on you. Those eggs then buried their way into your skin and now with my signal, they're hatching. I noticed that you fight with those two weird looking weapons. Doesn't that mean that you do close range combat? Now that you can't move easily, I wonder what you'll do."

Jade only smiled, "I'm glad it's the real you. Because that means you can feel pain." She slowly stood up and said, "I'm going to make you tell me what really happened to Colonello and Mammon-tama."

She suddenly charged at the magician who leaped into the air, carried by his broom. He pointed it at her and fired some needles. She knocked them away with her sai and sent a wave of rain flames to cover them and make sure no more spiders were born. Taking out the box the older Yamamoto had left her, she inserted her ring. The box opened and a flash of blue darted out of it, circled around the girl protectively and then came to a stop next to her. "This is my box weapon, Heiwa, Pioggia Renne, the Rain Reindeer!"

The magnificent buck pawed the air and came crashing down, its hooves thunderous. Its impressive full grown antlers were covered in rain flames as were its hooves. Ginger laughed, "What can that great lumbering beast do against my small nimble spiders?"

Heiwa continued to pound the ground with his hooves and Jade ran at Ginger, "You'll see what Heiwa can do if you can keep up with my attacks first!"

She slashed at him with her sais, managing to catch him in the arm when he couldn't dodge out of the way fast enough. As she continued trying to cut him, she allowed bits of her rain flames to seep into his wounds and into his blood stream. And although he didn't realize it, his movements was gradually getting slower. He tried backing up and firing more needles at her but she simply knocked the needles away from her. With one swift movement, she threw one of the sais at him. It pierced through his shoulder and pinned him to the wall behind him. The boy screamed in pain but snapped his fingers all the same. Spiders burst out of various parts of her body, but the rain flames that were covering her body numbed the pain.

She should have stopped, should have started questioning him about Colonello, but something drove her to continue. She brought the other sai up and tore open his other arm. "Even doing this… I won't tell you… about your… idiotic… Viper…"

Hearing his name drove the anger she had kept pent up over the edge and she grabbed him by the throat. Ripping the other sai out of his arm ruthlessly, she then plunged it back into his arm repeatedly. His screams rose in volume but he still refused to speak. "What did you do to Mammon-tama?" she yelled.

"He…committed…suicide…"

"NO! HE WOULDN'T DO THAT! HE'S NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO WOULD DO THAT! IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU MILLEFIORE KILLED HIM!" she screamed, rage taking over completely.

She continued stabbing the boy, who might or might not have already been dead. Seeing his nonresponsive body, she pulled her weapon out of his body and then left the room silently. Remembering dimly through her clouded mind that she needed to find the white machine, she made her way quickly through the halls. Heiwa galloped behind her, his antlers steadily turning a darker blue. Suddenly she was forced to stop. In front of her was a squad of lower level soldiers.

Seeing them standing their, weapons at the ready, she rushed them, a scream of rage at her throat. Her partially corrupted rain flames were flung all over the place as she started stabbing soldiers to death with her sai. Blood was everywhere and her eyes were slowly turning yellow the more she killed mindlessly. Her box weapon was next to her, flinging enemies aside with its antlers, her corrupt flames covering his antlers as well.

_These people killed Mammon-tama; they deserve to die too._

After decimating the group of soldiers, she continued on, looking for the white machine. According to the map she had been given, she should be nearing it. She entered a room and looked around. The door suddenly slammed shut and gas started pouring into the room. She coughed and tried to open the door but the gas quickly put her to sleep. Her eyes slowly drooped shut, her box weapon disappeared back into its box, and she fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>"Resistance is futile. I've taken all your rings and box weapons" Irie Shouichi spoke ominously.<p>

Jade felt her pocket frantically; it was still there! The special ring that she was not to use except in emergencies was still there!

The others trapped in the tube shouted for Tsuna to destroy the device, but Shouichi quickly put a stop to that. "Honestly, I'm amazed at your ignorance. If you destroy this device, the ones to be inconvenienced will be you, right?"

The white machine started opening and to their shock, revealed their future forms, deep in sleep. And then the story came out. How they had purposefully been brought to this time period in order to retrieve the Vongola Rings. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, hand over the Sky Ring. If not, we'll poison your guardians."

Jade clenched the ring in her pocket. "We're not done talking yet Irie. There's one part I can't agree on." Reborn said.

"We're not negotiating. This is an order." The Cervello responded, "If you don't obey within three seconds, you can't escape destruction."

"Wait!"

"3…"

"Damn woman!"

"Tenth! Don't mind us, please get those guys!"

"But…there's no way I can…"

"2…"

"Do it Sawada! After they get the Sky Ring, they'll kill us anyway!"

"But…"

"1…"

There was a gunshot and at the same time a black haze appeared over one part of the tube they were in and it exploded. Jade's hand was outstretched, her body shaking from exhaustion. The ring on her finger was lit with black flames. She could hear screaming but she wasn't sure where it was coming from. All the bloodlust she had felt before was building up inside her once again and she remembered how she had killed Ginger Bread and the soldiers she had come across. She clutched her head, her mouth opening in an open scream. "Someone get that ring off of her!" Reborn commanded.

Immediately, she was pinned down by Yamamoto and Gokudera, who pried it off. The second it left her fingers, the girl went limp. She opened her eyes a second later and mumbled, "I lost control again…"

Yamamoto was staring at her, worry evident in his eyes. She tried to smile reassuringly at him but the expression only seemed to make him worry more. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Meanwhile outside of the remains of the tube, Irie Shouichi had gone through a 180 degree personality change and had sat down. Ruffling his hair nervously, he said, "You did well to get this far. I was waiting for you. I'm your ally."

"Wha-? You're on our side?"

"Y-yeah. That's right… Normally, everything I do is under 24-hour surveillance by my subordinates and the cameras which transmit directly to Byakuran-san. But, thanks to you guys, everything's in a mess. Finally, I can talk without alerting the Millefiore people…" He exhaled nervously, "I've been waiting forever for this moment… Being able to meet you in this base, under these conditions, was the goal we were planning for from the start."

Jade listened dully to what the man was saying but her mind was racing, "How far did I activate the curse? Will this change the future me? If I can't use this power without losing control, then what can I do?"

A sudden shout caught her attention, "Ahh! I totally forgot about them!" It was Shouichi, "Have you received any contact from the Vongola Headquarters?"

"No…?"

Shouichi clutched his stomach, "I'm getting nervous again…this entire gambit to bring you guys through all that hardship in order to defeat Byakuran…that was the first stage. But, there's also a second stage that we have to clear too!"

"Eh? We have to fight some more?" Tsuna questioned.

"Eh? Ah, no…it's not that. I wanted to let you guys rest and heal your injuries for awhile. But, whether or not we get that luxury depends entirely on stage two."

"What is it? What's this stage two thing?"

"You've heard about it, right? The Vongola are launching a large-scale international operation against the Millefiore today."

"Ahh…now that you mention it…"

"If their operation fails, everything is going to get much more difficult…the most important key is the battle of the main force in Italy."

Jade looked up, "Do you mean the Varia?"

"Yes, they're assisting the main force that's fighting in Italy."

She closed her eyes and prayed silently, "Please be safe everyone."

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Here's Chapter 11! Jade got bloodthirsty haha. :)

Read and review please~


	11. Chapter 11: The Spell

"Giannini just received news from Italy about the main battle" Reborn smiled, "Looks like Xanxus managed to defeat his opponents."

Everyone started chattering excitedly as more news came in that the main force of the Millefiore had begun to retreat and that the Varia were pushing through. Jade's trembling hands stilled and relief spread through her. Before they could celebrate however, a voice came through their ear pieces. "Oh no. This is merely a little break. Both the main battle in Italy and the Melone Base in Japan… you have been most entertaining."

A hologram of a white haired man appeared. Jade felt her blood run cold. It had to be Byakuran. The man continued talking, revealing that he was merely playing with them and that they had actually fought fake Funeral Wreaths. He introduced the holder of the Storm Mare Ring as Zakuro and then showed them what the man had done to his hometown in order to prove his loyalty to Byakuran. As the hometown exploded in flames and lava, Jade felt the ring in her hand vibrate. She surreptitiously looked at it and saw that it was shaking as if it wanted to join in on the killing. She clenched it more firmly and ignored the cold feeling that was threatening to take control of her.

As she pushed the feeling back, the base underneath them started shaking. They hurried to hold onto something and when everything had calmed down, they realized that the base had disappeared. They panicked but were visibly cheered up when Ryohei showed up, yelling in confusion. Shouichi persuaded them that they would be able to win the battles ahead and gave them each a gift left by their future selves. "This is what this era's Tenth Vongola has entrusted to you guys. The 'Vongola Boxes'!"

Although she hadn't received a new box, Jade was content with her own and so was fine with just watching the other's expressions of delight and excitement. As they were chattering however, their ear pieces suddenly crackled and a familiar loud voice came roaring through, "Vooiii!"

"It's a transmission from the Varia, but I'm afraid the Millefiore might be bugging this" Giannini said.

"It's fine, just let me through, damn it!" Squalo growled.

"He's too scary so just connect him" Tsuna cried, "Just be mindful of the volume on the headphones!"

"You little bastards! Are you still alive?" the man roared as he connected.

"Squalo!" Yamamoto cried.

"You're too damn loud!" Gokudera yelled back.

"Squalo-nii" Jade whispered, tears of relief prickling her eyes.

"Listen up! At this time, we, as the Vongola, are together in this! So as for you little brats…" He was suddenly cut off by a yelp of pain. "You asshole!"

A new voice growled, "Sawada Tsunayoshi…Have you become a little less immature yet?"

Tears threatened to spill over as she heard the voice of the Varia boss. It had been too long since she had last heard that gruff angry voice.

"Show me that the Vongola in ten days time will be the strongest!" The transmission cut off there and there was silence. They were relieved to have the Varia as their allies this time around, but were interrupted when Chrome suddenly spoke up. "About Mukuro-sama, do you know the current whereabouts of Rokudo Mukuro?"

Darkly Shouichi replied, "According to what Byakuran-san had said, Mukuro had taken control of a Millefiore soldier but was then killed by Byakuran-san's own hands."

They were all visibly shocked. "But I don't think that is so" the red haired man continued, "That's because, on the Vendice's prison death list, his name never appeared."

Although they were all relieved that the man was still alive, Jade shuddered. Vindice. The name itself made her shudder. They parted ways with Shouichi and Spanner and started making their way back to the Vongola Base. They were all tense and full of worry, but upon seeing the familiar faces of their friends, everything seemed to be all right again. Only Jade trailed behind them all, the ring in her pocket pulsing stronger and stronger every passing minute. The death that lay ahead of them called to her enticingly and she worried about how long she could resist it.

* * *

><p>The days passed by quickly with everyone resting and regaining their strength. With Ryohei, also came another addition to their group. Basil had arrived a few days earlier and had fought his way over to the Japanese base. Jade was spending her time in a training room with Heiwa, figuring out new techniques she could use, all the while suppressing the bloodthirsty side of her. She knew she couldn't afford to go crazy again.<p>

They were all gathered together in the meeting room when the screen started singing and random white blobs started dancing on it. Despite how confusing the situation was, Jade couldn't help but giggle at how adorable it all was. She was just a girl after all. The blobs came together and a chibi figure cried out "Byakuran!"

And then suddenly the man himself was grinning at them on screen, while digging into a delicious looking parfait leisurely. "How is it? Is it interesting?" he asked, still grinning. "It's too boring so I came to play." He glanced at Jade and his eyes lit up, "Jade-chan! You found that cute, right?" He hummed contently, "I remember you were the best play toy in all the other worlds I visited."

She stared at him with wide eyes, "What…?"

He chuckled, "Hmm? Didn't you know? In all of the parallel worlds, Jade-chan was my right hand girl if you will. Ahh, we had so much fun together."

"I wouldn't! No…I…" Jade stuttered, unconsciously clutching the ring in her pocket tightly.

The man smiled airily, "Oh? I see you're not even denying it; that's good. Hey, how about you come over to this side, Jade-chan? I promise there'll be lots of fun for you. You'll be able to kill to your heart's content-"

"Shut up!" she shouted, panicking at the idea that anyone else should know her darkest secret. "I don't believe you! I don't…!" She ran out of the room, forcing back tears. Behind her she could hear Gokudera yelling, "Bastard! Did you come just to mock us?"

She was still trying to force the panicked feeling away when she ran into someone in the hallway. Her sight blurred with unshed tears, she apologized and moved to go around them when they grabbed her arm. "Oi what did those bastards do to you?"

The harsh familiar voice made her look up and upon seeing the long silver hair; she really did burst into tears. "Squalo-nii!" she sobbed, "I don't want to be a monster!"

The man awkwardly moved the tuna he was carrying to hold her in an embrace, waiting until she had calmed down and her hiccups and little sighs had quieted down. "Who the hell told you you were a monster? I'll cut them to pieces!"

She rubbed at her eyes, "Bya-Byakuran said that I was his friend in parallel worlds and I liked killing! And I…I don't want to!"

He snarled angrily, "That bastard doesn't know what he's talking about! You're about as close to a monster as that Sawada is!"

"B-but…my eyes" she muttered, "And sometimes the ring really makes me want to kill…"

His eyes narrowed, "You don't have to worry about that. No way will we let it happen."

"But Giannini-san said that-"

"I said you don't have to worry! That stupid Prince brat would go crazy if those bastard prison guards tried to take you." He hesitated and then spoke firmly, "No- I mean…we won't let it happen."

Although he left immediately after his cryptic last words, Jade nevertheless found herself reassured due to his very presence. And she knew she could trust Squalo; after all, her brother would never lie to her. Therefore, her mind at ease, she resumed her training with renewed vigor. And in the days remaining before the battle, she improved her control of her rain flames and continued to suppress her darker flames.

* * *

><p>"So you beat Ginger Bread" Lal said, her stern face softening.<p>

Jade nodded, "But he refused to tell me anything and I still don't know who killed Colonello-san or Mammon-tama."

Lal closed her eyes, "I see…"

"I'm really sorry" the girl started apologizing, "I tried to make him tell me but he wouldn't and then before I knew it…I killed him…"

A gentle hand took a hold of hers and Lal murmured, "No, you've done enough. Thank you. Colonello is at least partially avenged now."

The two sat in a comfortable silence as they thought of their loved ones, until Jade stood up. "I have to go now Lal-san, but I promise I'll come back. We'll all come back and-"

The woman smiled softly, the two of them having reached a silent understanding due to their similar feelings and said, "I'll wait for you here."

Feeling considerably lighter, Jade went to meet up with the rest of the party that was about to set out. They were all changing into mafia suits so without a word, she took hers to change as well. The material was soft and flexible, allowing for easy movement and the skirt came with a nice belt where she could tuck her sai and box. The feared ring went into a pocket and she slipped on her rain rings. Straightening her tie, she went back to the room and found everyone ready and waiting. "Let's go" Tsuna said solemnly.

* * *

><p>"There are dying will flames approaching…" Spanner mumbled worriedly, "And they're incredibly huge. They're closing in fast." After looking at the readings on his laptop for another moment, he mused, Hm…that's odd…they ought to be right on top of us by…" He looked up, "Up there!"<p>

Above them a large black cloud was swirling and a face took shape in them. Byakuran stared back at them grinning. He glanced around and frowned, "Hmm? I thought I told you to make sure everyone was here…? Ah well, never mind. You're only putting yourselves at a disadvantage after all."

Shouichi immediately retorted, "You're the one breaking the rules here! That apparatus is far too big to serve as a base unit!"

"You always like to jump to conclusions, Shou-chan." Byakuran smiled. "All this is for is to transport you all to the stage where we'll be holding our game of choice. A hyper-flame ring transfer system."

They were all shocked but Byakuran didn't stop there. "However, as you already know, this apparatus doesn't activate all that easily. So it's also going to serve as a little test, to see if you're qualified to take part in today's game. Five million fiamma volts! That's the amount of energy required to transport all of you to the choice stage. Now originally I was going to let all of you contribute, but I've decided that for not bringing everyone, you need a bit of a punishment. So instead…only one person will be allowed to produce the necessary flames. And…I pick Jade-chan!"

"What? That's outrageous!"

"You can't force her to do something like that!"

"You bastard, doing something like this!"

Byakuran turned to look at Jade, "Just produce the flames whenever you're ready and the apparatus will collect them. Not to put any pressure on you or anything, but if you fail to produce them, that will count as a failure and I might have to do" the apparatus idly winked, "this to the town." A large beam was shot at the mountains nearby, destroying a good portion of them.

"What do you think you're doing? Byakuran!" Tsuna yelled angrily.

"Oopsie! Sorry about that! I guess my face slipped." Byakuran laughed. "Well then, quickly now! Get those flames burning Jade-chan! There's not much time left before 12 o'clock when the game begins. Once the light shining down from me disappears, that's time up!"

Tsuna glared at Byakuran, and firmly told him that he would wait for Hibari and Yamamoto to show up. However the light was fading fast. Jade lit up her ring and inserted it into her box. Heiwa burst out and reared up on it's hind legs and bellowed. Jade turned to the others who were trying to persuade her to stop and smiled, "Good luck in Choice everyone! I hope you win!" She closed her eyes and mustering everything she had, sent all of her flames soaring up into the apparatus. All the love she had for her friends, all the grief from losing Mammon, all the hate and worry she carried because of Byakuran and her power; everything became fuel for her flames. Her determination was unwavering as she sent all of her strength to power the wretched apparatus. She forced all of it out of her and into the machine and they watched as the numbers on the apparatus registered the massive amount of flames being poured into it.

They kept shouting at her to stop, but she allowed the flames to empty out of her body, draining her completely. They stared in awe at the girl who only smiled before collapsing limply on the ground.

Byakuran grinned, "Well that's not surprising after all; not only does she have her rain flames, she has that other special power too. I knew she was powerful!" His voice turned more serious, "Well done surpassing 5 million fiamma volts. You passed. Well then, let's get Choice started. But first, let me tell you that today not only are the Vongola Rings hanging in the balance. I want Jade-chan too."

"What." This time it was Yamamoto who responded. Having arrived seconds earlier, he wasn't pleased at the statement that had left Byakuran's mouth. "Hisui is not a thing you can trade around. She's a person. We won't give her up to you."

Byakuran frowned, "I'm afraid I can't agree with that. You see, I really miss having Jade-chan by my side as she was in all the other worlds. With that said," the unconscious girl suddenly started floating and then disappeared, "I'll be keeping her in a safe place for now where she can recover. If you win, I'll give her back of course, but this way if I win, she'll be mine."

They protested but the man's mind was made up and they had no choice but to continue with the battle of Choice.

* * *

><p>"You guys must keep your promises. I'm taking all of your Vongola Rings. What should I do with you guys…hmm…" Byakuran stated.<p>

"If it's agreement, there's one between us. Do you still remember… during university, the last Choice was won by me. But you who don't have any credits left…said…this…" Shouichi mumbled weakly, "The next time we play Choice, I'll agree to any request of yours…I request a Choice rematch!"

"Sorry. I don't remember such a thing" Byakuran's eyes narrowed dangerously.

They continued to argue until Byakuran firmly stated, "I reject this as the Millefiore boss."

"Objection!" A clear sweet voice said, "I, as boss of Millefiore Black Spell should have rights of half the decision."

After explaining the situation and who she was to everyone Yuni continued with her statement, "In any case, as the Millefiore leader of Black Spell, I vote for a rematch with the Vongola family."

"Yuni-chan, I'm glad you're feeling much better. But you have no right to interfere with my decision. When I need advice, I'd love to hear it, but you are only second in command. I have the final say in all matters. Case closed." Byakuran spoke grimly.

"Right…I understand. Then I, hereby withdraw my family from the Millefiore alliance." She started walking towards the Vongola group, "Sawada Tsunayoshi, I have a favor to ask. Please protect me."

Tsuna spluttered in shock to which Yuni replied by holding out a handful of pacifiers, "Not just me. Please also protect the pacifiers of my comrades."

"You can't go stealing other people's things, Yuni-chan. Those are part of my Trinisette collection." Byakuran forced a strained smile.

"No they're not. I've taken custody of these. And what you have cannot be called the Trinisette."

"Huh?"

The girl closed her eyes and focused. At once the pacifiers in her hands lit up brightly. "That's because the pacifiers bear no meaning if their owners lose heart."

"That's great Yuni-chan! I really do need you. Now, let's make up and be friends." Byakuran responded, walking towards the girl.

"Stop. I can't let you possess our hearts anymore." The girl said.

"What the hell are you saying?" Byakuran's expression was dark and his voice harsh, "I will follow you to the ends of the Earth until I have those." He resumed walking, "Well then, let's go home."

As he reached out to take her hand, a single gun shot rang out as the bullet grazed the man's sleeve. Reborn's eyes were covered as he spoke but his rage was evident in his voice as he growled, "I don't care who the fuck you are or what circumstances you're in. Don't push your luck Byakuran. If you lay one finger on the Arcobaleno Boss, I'm not just gonna sit here and watch."

It was at this moment that Kikyo and Zakuro, two of the Funeral Wreaths, decided to attack. Squalo and Hibari blocked their attacks and responded eagerly. "Hey, let's calm down Kikyo-chan. Yuni-chan is still in shock from waking up so suddenly since she has been sick and unconscious for a long time. Well then, how about this Yuni-chan. The Trinisette that I was supposed to get by winning the Choice game is very important to me and troubled me so much to get it. But, I don't mind giving the Vongola Rings back to them if Yuni-chan comes back to the Millefiore."

"Byakuran. I know why you want me. I know that, and that is the reason why I can't go back to your side."

Byakuran's expression turned dark immediately, "I see. Well then, the Vongola Rings are ours. I have no intention of giving any weapons to people who provide a sanctuary for Yuni-chan to take refuge in." He suddenly smiled, "And of course, I'll be keeping Jade-chan as well."

With a wave of his hand the girl suddenly appeared by his side. She blinked twice slowly and looked around, confused. They called her name anxiously, but she made no attempt to respond, choosing instead to stare dully at the ground quietly. Byakuran laughed, "Ahaha she won't respond to you. Jade-chan is mine now, just as she was in all the other parallel worlds. And really, she is a most wonderful toy." His tone changed suddenly, "But in the end, I really do want Yuni-chan as well."

Waiting until the white haired man had finished speaking, Tsuna announced his decision to protect Yuni and without further ado, she quickly joined them.

Kikyo took a step forward, "Byakuran-sama, permission to attack in order to get Yuni-sama back."

"Permission granted." As he spoke the two words, there was a loud explosion and a large shark appeared, wreaking havoc. Squalo followed quickly, slashing at the Cloud Funeral Wreath. Deciding to use his secret weapon since the two Funeral Wreaths were being held back, Byakuran whispered something into Jade's ear. The girl's eyes swiveled over to stare at the prefect, and without another thought charged straight for Hibari who was watching from the side. The girl attempting to slice him in half seemed to be the last straw for the boy and his irritation exploded. His box weapon came out and rapidly started multiplying, preventing the enemy from getting anywhere close. Even as Squalo and Gokudera made their retreat, Byakuran was weaving his way in and out, flying towards them.

"No matter who fights against me, I won't be stopped." He was headed straight for Yuni, Jade right behind him, her eyes blank and yellow.

"Kufufu won't be stopped? I'll stop you." Mukuro appeared, his trident in hand. As he pushed Byakuran back, lava suddenly exploded from the ground, engulfing the white haired man.

The two incredibly powerful men faced off, with Mukuro creating more and more illusions. But Byakuran brushed the illusions off, "You can't win against me with this. No matter how close to reality these illusions seem, they're just fakes created by you. If you want to win against me, you have to at least escape from Vindice prison and fight me in person."

The girl standing at his right suddenly jerked and her eyes cleared for a moment. Mukuro noticed this and turned to face her, "What has this man done to you, my dear?"

Byakuran chuckled, "I haven't done anything. Jade-chan simply realized that it was in her best interests to be by my side."

The illusionist ignored his words and took a step forward, placing a hand on the girl's cheek. She remained still and unresponsive. "Let me into your mind, my dear" Mukuro murmured.

He concentrated and entered the girl's world. What greeted him was the image of a destroyed world lit up in flame. And standing there in the middle of it all was Jade. She looked up at the intruder in her mind and glared at him with her pure yellow eyes. Her mouth twitched and she smiled widely, her teeth pointed and caked in blood. There was a sound in the background and he tilted his head to listen more closely.

_Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill_

Mukuro shuddered and took a step back, breaking the connection. Byakuran smiled, "See? Jade-chan was originally one of us, you know. All it took was a small push and she embraced the killing and murder and came to my side so easily. Well, not to say that I haven't been pushing her for quite awhile now. Ever since she came to the future actually; I'm pleasantly surprised that she held on for so long. I filled her with quite a bit of killing intent after all."

Worried eyes focused on the girl. Her mind was no longer there. It had been taken over completely by the monster within. "You dear girl" he murmured, "What in the world could he have done to turn you into this?" He turned to face Byakuran with renewed vigor, "Unfortunately, this girl is my pawn and I can't have you taking her away from me so easily. Be it today or tomorrow, I will come to take her back."

Behind him, the rest had already taken the transporter and gone back to Namimori, so Mukuro allowed his illusion to dissipate.

* * *

><p><em>The smell of blood filled the air as she stabbed the body on the ground again and again. With each new stab, more and more blood welled up and she laughed hysterically at the sight. "Humans are so fragile" she snickered, "I looovvee them!" <em>

_The other two people there struggled uselessly, their legs broken, and her attention turned to them. Her weapon in hand, she chose her target and sliced the person's hamstrings, laughing as the person screamed. As they bled all over the ground, she continued to slice open parts of the body, laughing every single time she got a scream. This was absolutely delightful! The pain, the screams, the death; everything was controlled by her. _

_Suddenly, the scenery changed. She was on a mountainside. There were two groups of people talking to each other. One of them was a woman in white with an afro, flanked by several soldiers. The other was- _Vindice. _The girl jerked. Why was she affected by the presence of these people; she could kill them like all the others, couldn't she? But even as she thought of the idea, she abandoned it. Something about the _Vindice_ made her fear them._

"_We're on Byakuran's orders to retrieve the prisoner!" the woman spoke._

"_The deal is done. What else do you want?" one of the people wrapped in bandages and black cloaks asked._

"_Done? What do you mean, done?"_

"_As promised, we have released the man from the very lowest of our cells."_

"_You already released him, you say? Quit messing with us! We just got here!"_

"_Was the man you released the sixth member of the real six Funeral Wreaths named Ghost?" A solder asked._

"_No. It was this man."_

_She caught a glimpse of the man on the paper. Two mismatching eyes, long hair. Why did he look so familiar? Before she could think on it, she was dragged back to where she was killing the people again. As her hand moved up and down stabbing her victim automatically, she felt the blood lust seep into her again, and she was once more drawn into the dark world._

* * *

><p>"Ahaha do you have any clue why I came here, Tsunayoshi-kun? It's because I'm ready now. Both my heart and my body. I have my adorable Jade-chan by my side. Nothing can stop me!" Byakuran proclaimed.<p>

Spotting the girl by his side, they were all visibly angered.

"Voii…" Squalo growled quietly, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?" he suddenly roared, raising his voice considerably.

"Hisui!" Yamamoto called. The girl didn't even glance at him, her eyes focused dead ahead on nothing.

Byakuran laughed, "Jade-chan was mine in all the other parallel worlds; it only makes sense that she should be mine in this world as well. I only gave her a gentle nudge and now all she thinks about is killing." He then turned to the girl at his right and whispered something into her ear. Her expression didn't change even as she suddenly charged towards them, her weapons raised.

Bel growled, "You're the one who did that to her? Unforgivable. The Prince will kill you for sure."

Jade turned towards the new voice and attempted to attack Bel.

"Ushishishi this peasant deserves some punishment for forgetting the Prince." Bel hissed angrily as he flung a set of knives at the girl. She caught the wire in the hook of her sai and pulled the entire mess of knives out of the way. Charging forward, she threw some rain flames at the boy who jumped back nimbly and continued to pepper her with knives. As she drew nearer and nearer to him, he grabbed the back of her head and suddenly without warning, bit sharply into the side of her neck. Her sai was in midair, about to stab him in the back, but at the attack, she dropped it. He lapped up the blood and then whispered in her ear, "You're _mine_."

As if it were a magic spell, the girl collapsed in his arms, immediately fainting.

* * *

><p>"<em>Jade you are my toy, my favorite toy. I will never let you go and you will stay by my right side. All you need to do is listen to me and kill to your heart's content. What do you say?"<em>

_No…no…that's not what I want…I don't want to become a killer…I want to be peaceful…with the people I love…_

"_Jade I will never let you go. No matter how far you run or where you try to hide, I will always find you. Isn't it easier to just let it happen rather than resisting?"_

_I don't want to… I…_

"_Just let go. You are mine."_

_The girl found her consciousness fading quickly and there was nothing she could do about it. She needed to get away but there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. She curled up into a ball and tried to remember those she loved and wanted to protect, but she could only remember screaming, blood, and pain. This was just like her time with that man. She remembered the man, remembered her last encounter with him, and then briefly remembered someone with blonde hair and a big grin on his face. She reached out for him desperately and as she did so, felt the last defense protecting her mind crack. He was here!_

* * *

><p><em>It was dark. She had no idea where she was, but she remembered who she was and that was an improvement. <em>Ushishishi._ Belphegor? She looked around frantically. That had to be him! Where was he? Would he come for her this time as well? Belphegor. The name filled her warmth and safety. Suddenly she could feel something tugging on her. She tried to shrug it away, but it stubbornly pulled at her. She allowed herself to be dragged away. There was a sharp pain on her neck._

Jade froze, her eyes wide, and dropped her weapons, nerveless. There was someone holding her, someone warm and familiar. He whispered into her ear, "You're mine."

Ah. So it was him. She smiled faintly, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to pass out.

_She was back in her body and this time there was no urge to kill. She felt at peace for the first time since she had come to the future. Her mind was hers and hers alone, to be manipulated by no one. It felt good to be free… Maybe she would rest for awhile... she was incredibly tired…_

Oi wake up. _Jade twitched irritably. Who was that? Couldn't they leave her alone? She was tired!_

VOOIIII WAKE UP! _Squalo-nii! She couldn't disobey that call!_

Jade blinked and opened her eyes to see various faces staring at her with worried expressions. Someone leaned closer to stare at her and she stared at them wide-eyed. _Belphegor_.

Bel peered into her eyes; they were already halfway yellow. He frowned but didn't comment, instead pulling back and standing up. "Oi peasant, it's about time you wake up. You missed the final battle."

She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes which burned a little for some reason. Another voice spoke up, "Kufufu you shouldn't be so cruel to my dear or I'll take her away from you."

She stared up at the familiar person and then gasped, "That wasn't a dream!"

He raised a thin eyebrow, "Oya? What's this? You were dreaming about me?"

She shook her head, "No but I saw the Millefiore White Spell making a deal with the Vindice-" she paused, fear seeping into her, before continuing, "They were trying to free someone named Ghost. But you got out instead!"

Bel frowned, "You dreamed about those Vindice?"

She nodded hesitantly, "It seemed very important…but I'm not sure why."

She slowly stood up and looked around. Tsuna was surrounded by the guardians, looking completely worn out. The Varia and Mukuro's group surrounded her. She took a few experimental steps before realizing that her body was fine, and then immediately ran to Tsuna. "Tsu-kun! I'm so sorry! I couldn't do anything to help you guys! And then I attacked you and I don't really even remember anything so I don't know what I did but I'm sorry and-"

He cut her off, "Ah, no it's not your fault Hisui-chan. Byakuran is the one who forced you into it." He continued speaking about the battle, "We've won, but everything is so messed up…was there any meaning behind this victory?"

"Of course there was damnit!" a harsh voice declared behind them.

They all whirled to look at where the voice was coming from. To their shock, the pile of pacifiers had started glowing. "You all did well, damnit!"

There was a flash and then five babies were standing there. "The Arcobaleno…have finally revived!"

Jade took three large steps and then flung herself at Mammon who simply let her hug him with an indulging look, "Muu you've gotten into all sorts of trouble, haven't you?"

With the Arcobaleno back, it was time for them to return to the past although Jade clung desperately to the little baby the entire time. He merely patted her gently and said, "Muu the me of that time will be there waiting for you."

Bel spoke up, "Ushishishi is the peasant going back to Italy?"

"Eh…Hisui, you're going back with them?" Yamamoto asked sadly.

She looked at the two groups of people, both of which she developed so many bonds and memories with. "I…um…I think I have to go back…but I promise I'll come visit you when I can!" She looked at Mammon, "That's okay, right?"

The baby smiled and took his place on her head. He tugged a strand of her hair and she squealed, before walking in the direction he wanted her to. "You have to ask your family in the past, silly. Honestly, how will I ever make any money off of you if you're still this way after being schooled?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Jade saw Lal and Colonello bickering, the woman blushing furiously, and smiled. Everything had worked out for the best.

* * *

><p>And so they returned to the past where everyone involved got memories of the future. And it was time for Jade to return to Italy. They all showed up to bid her farewell, even Hibari, surprisingly. She gave each of them a firm hug, despite how reluctant Gokudera was and how Tsuna kept blushing. She hesitated a little when confronted with Hibari, still confused about his actions in the future, but in the end, gave him a quick peck on the cheek that had him turning away to hide the faint blush that dusted his cheeks. She giggled a little and then with a last wave to everyone, boarded the plane.<p>

* * *

><p>She walked into the Varia mansion, rubbing away the tears that were threatening to spill over. She was so happy to finally be home. As she opened her mouth to announce that she was home, there was a blur and suddenly she was pinned down on the ground by a grinning blonde. "Ushishishi I found a peasant."<p>

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Happy Valentine's/Singles Awareness Day everyone!

Waah I finally finished Chapter 11. That was…longer than I thought it would be haha. I just wanted to clarify something in this chapter that I thought might confuse people a bit:

All the darkness that was pulling at Jade the entire time and urging her to kill was caused by Byakuran. Originally in the past (or present I guess), when Jade used her power, nothing happened, but after she got to the future, Byakuran started messing with her mind and made her into his killer.

Anyways! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! The Inheritance arc is coming up after this and that's where I'll be finally properly explaining Jade's power so look forward to that!

Please read and review~


	12. Chapter 12: Elite Assassination Squad

A loud scream echoed through the mansion and various doors slammed open as men rushed out of their rooms to see what had happened. To their shock, Bel was on top of a terrified girl. "VOOIIII YOU STUPID PRINCE! GET OFF OF HER!" Squalo started waving his sword around angrily, slicing apart a few expensive vases in the process.

"Squalo-nii!" Jade called, squirming from where she was pinned on the floor.

As the swordsman was about to go storming down the stairs to her rescue, he was suddenly nailed in the head by an expensive glass. A large intimidating man approached him, growling, "Shut up and stop breaking things, scum."

At the arrival of the boss, Bel finally got off the girl and snickered to himself. "Xanxus-nii-sama, I'm home!" Jade said formally.

He grunted in acknowledgement, "You took your time."

She bowed apologetically and before anyone could say anything else, another familiar voice butted in, "Mou, why didn't tell anyone tell me my darling was home?"

"Lu-kaa-chan!" Jade shouted as she ran to hug the ecstatic man.

But as soon as she pulled back, she was looking around frantically for a certain baby. "Mammon-tama, does anyone know where Mammon-tama is?" she asked almost fanatically.

The baby floated into the hallway, "Muu all this noise so early in the day. I should charge you."

At the sight of her guardian, Jade's eyes welled up with relieved tears, as if she had still been worried about the baby's fate. He sighed, opening his arms, "Well, I guess I can forgive you this once. Come here." He coaxed.

She hugged the baby happily, snuggling against his cloak, "Mammon-tama, I'm glad you're safe."

"You caused quite a bit of trouble in the future, didn't you?" he reprimanded her quietly. "What did I say about being careful?"

She took the lecture silently, knowing it was his way of showing he was worried for her, "Mammon, you don't have to be so harsh" Lussuria pouted, "Jade-chan only just got back after all."

Levi cleared his throat, "Ahem, would the boss's sister like anything to eat this morning?"

"Levi-nii! I missed your juice!" Jade responded enthusiastically.

"Ushishishi the peasant still has such unrefined tastes" Bel commented, walking up to them casually.

Jade quickly hid behind Lussuria, unsure of how to react to the blonde boy's presence. She had been informed that everyone had received memories of what had happened in the future, but she wasn't sure how the boy would take to the memories. He seemed to notice her obvious discomfort however, because he suddenly grinned, "Hey, why is the peasant suddenly scared of the Prince?"

She shook her head, "Not afraid, just confused."

"Oh really? How so?"

"In the future, Belphegor-san saved my life, but in the present time, I don't know how Belphegor-san feels about me."

He grinned, "Ushishishi nothing's changed between us. The Prince saved you in the future because he didn't want that Byakuran to take what belonged to the Prince."

Squalo butt in, "You fucking brat, I'll cut you to pieces if you try anything stupid!"

"Squalo-nii!" Jade said again, happily. She hugged him enthusiastically and the man was forced to hug her back. He pulled away a moment later and growled, "Oi, you better not have gotten soft in the time you were away. I'll whip you back into shape starting tomorrow!"

The girl squealed in protest but knew better than to try and change his mind. The long haired swordsman was incredibly stubborn, especially when it came to training. And she always had a hiding spot if things got too bad.

Things would be just as they had before she left. She smiled happily; it was truly good to be home.

* * *

><p>Jade woke up early the next morning, feeling excited and happy. She made her way down to the kitchens and started making omelets for everyone. Xanxus-nii-sama liked his with lots of bacon and ham, Squalo-nii liked his to be garnished with a few fresh sprigs of cilantro, Mammon-tama always required strawberry milk to be served with his, Levi-nii liked anchovies, Lu-kaa-chan liked ketchup, and Belphegor always wanted his to be cut in the shape of a crown.<p>

After she finished making their personalized omelets, the mouthwatering smell had already reached the noses of the sleeping assassins and they were all trudging down and taking their seats, waiting patiently.

As they dug into their breakfasts eagerly, Jade watched them happily. _I never thought I'd be able to do this again._ It was truly a dream come true. Suddenly a fork prodded her mouth. Automatically she opened and a piece of omelet was placed in her mouth. She looked over in surprise as Bel snickered, "Ushishishi the peasant should try out her own cooking before the Prince eats."

She chewed slowly, wondering how she should respond but before she could, Squalo had already pulled her seat away from the blonde boy's. He swallowed his mouthful of omelet and grumbled, "Just ignore that crazy bastard."

Lussuria pouted from across the table, "Mou Squ! Why did you interrupt their moment?"

Squalo ignored him in favor of taking a large gulp of coffee. This however, didn't deter Lussuria from his goal and the man continued pestering him, "Really Squ, when young people are in love, it's hard for them to express it. You just ruined a potentially lovey-dovey moment."

A knife thudded into the table right next to where Lussuria's hand was and Bel grinned, "Who's going to have a lovey-dovey moment?"

"My! Bel-chan! There's no reason to get angry at me!" Lussuria gasped indignantly.

Sensing the trouble that was brewing, Mammon picked up his plate and climbed onto Jade's head. Tugging her hair, he directed her to a corner of the room where he promptly covered them with illusions and the two continued eating while watching the chaos.

Lussuria and Bel were still bickering, with Squalo giving his angry input every once and awhile. Everything was fine until Bel got a little too enthusiastic and Lussuria was forced to bat a few of his knives away; one of the knives ended up in the middle of Levi's omelet, and everything went downhill from there. Levi shot up out of his chair and started accusing Bel of ruining his breakfast. Bel responded with a few well aimed knives in his direction. Levi brought out his umbrellas in a rage and was about to use his most famed attack when Squalo's boot hit him directly in the head, knocking him out; the umbrellas that had been in the air a moment earlier clattered to the ground. All would have been well if Bel hadn't chosen at that moment to launch another knife at Squalo, who batted the knife away with a swish of his sword. In the process, it knocked an umbrella straight into Xanxus's plate.

They all froze. The man looked up slowly and his eyes zeroed in on Squalo who still had his sword raised. The wine glass went flying through the air, breaking against the swordsman's skull.

"VOOIIII XANXUS YOU BASTARD WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Squalo roared angrily.

Xanxus glared at him, "You got a problem with that, trash?"

From there on it was gun shots, swords, and knives. Jade snuck out of the illusion to the kitchen where she prepared a few more fresh omelets for the men who would without a doubt be hungry after their early morning exercise.

As a knife went soaring over her head, she quickly ran to deposit the new omelets in front of the angry group of boys. As the smell hit them once again, they immediately stopped what they were doing and resumed eating as if nothing had happened. It was just another day in the Varia mansion.

* * *

><p>Left swing, right swing, flip sai backwards, slash forwards. Jump back, remain in defensive position. Jade panted, sweat dripping down her face. She had been practicing this move all day, adjusting her position slowly so that she knew exactly what angle to hold her weapons at, exactly how hard she should swing for maximum results, exactly how to twirl the sai so that they wouldn't slip from her hands or feel too awkward. Now that she was in the Varia, survival only wasn't an option. She had to be able to fight to the best of her abilities.<p>

The door slammed open and Squalo stalked in, "I've been looking for you."

Jade squeaked as he suddenly swung his sword at her. She ducked and then brought her sai up to lock his weapon in place. Immediately he fired gun powder at her, forcing her to jump back. The explosions provided a smoke cover and she used it to dart around and land a hit. To her surprise, there was only a dummy there; immediately, she whirled around and brought up her sai to block Squalo's attack from above. She pushed him back and as he landed neatly, the smoke cleared, revealing a pleased grin.

"Voii you've been keeping up with your training!"

She nodded, "Hibari-san was a very strict teacher."

He walked over and nodded his head at the weapons she was using, "Where'd you find those pig-stickers?"

"Hibari-san said that the future me commissioned them. They're about the same size and weight as my old baton and I like them."

He removed his sword and took the sai in his hands, giving them an experimental swing. "Light" he commented. He slid the knife out from its hidden sheath and grunted, "You've kept these well maintained."

"Because Squalo-nii said that a weapon is an extension of yourself so you have to take good care of it too."

The man ruffled her hair fondly, "That's right." He then reluctantly added, "That bastard may be cocky but he taught you some good stuff, didn't he?"

Jade grinned, "Squalo-nii is still my favorite though."

"Cheeky brat" Squalo growled, "Let's see if I'm still your favorite after the training course I'm gonna put you through today."

And that was how she found herself running through the hallways with a shark box weapon chasing her. Squalo was standing on top of the large fish, shouting, "Pick up your pace! What kind of sloppy breathing is that? Pick up those feet and run!"

By the time he was satisfied, she was all but ready to cough up a lung; but Squalo was just getting started. After the fifth set of push ups, she was on the verge of dying. Slipping away when the strict trainer wasn't looking, she managed to drag herself to Xanxus's room where she tucked herself under the bed and struggled to breathe.

A moment later the swordsman's angry footsteps passed by and Xanxus grunted, "You can come out now trash."

She dragged herself out and attempted to stand up and bow clumsily to the Varia boss. He rolled his eyes and grabbed something from his desk and tossed it at her. She managed to catch it out of reflex and stared at it. Wordlessly, she looked back up at the man who simply growled, "Are you drinking it or not?"

She downed the bottle of juice quickly and feeling refreshed, bowed again to the man before rushing out of the room. She wasn't quite ready to face Squalo yet but she knew of a good hiding spot where she could wait out the swordsman's wrath.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the hiding gods were not smiling upon her that day because as she was sprinting across the training grounds towards her hiding spot, she was spotted by a grinning blonde. As she tucked herself into the niche in the tree, Bel popped out of nowhere, "Boo."

She shrieked and shot up out of her hiding spot, painfully hitting her head on a branch in the process. "Belphegor!" she gasped, "What are you doing here?"

He snickered, "Why is the peasant hiding here? Does she not want to be found by someone?"

Her eyes went wide and her face pale, "Please Belphegor, don't give me away! Squalo-nii will kill me with all the training! I'll do anything you want!"

The boy's grin widened, "Anything?"

Realizing her choice of words, she tried to backpedal but the prince would have none of it. Grabbing her hand, he dragged her back across the training grounds, narrowly avoiding a silver haired swordsman. They ran through the mansion, coming to a stop in front of the kitchen, where he commanded, "Make the Prince something to eat, peasant."

She blinked in surprise. Was that it? She had been sure that Belphegor would do something much more torturous. A small smile on her lips, she started to prepare something simple for the boy to eat. Pulling her head out of the fridge, she asked, "Is fried rice okay?"

Receiving a nod, she started pulling out ingredients and cooking, knowing that the blonde haired boy didn't like to be kept waiting. A couple of minutes later, the dish was ready and she handed the plate to the boy. He merely stared at it and then grinning, grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the table. After they were seated, he pointed at his mouth and said, "Feed me peasant."

She blushed, "What? But I cooked for you!"

"You said anything. Are you going back on your word?"

She stuttered before scooping a spoonful of the fried rice and bringing it to his mouth reluctantly. He stared at it for a moment and frowned, "It's too hot."

She sighed, wondering if she should have just braved Squalo's training, before blowing on the spoon and putting it in Bel's mouth. "Hey peasant. You're not scared of me anymore." He remarked.

Feeding him another spoonful, she responded thoughtfully, "But Belphegor saved me twice."

He stared at her and then suddenly got out of his chair and started backing away slowly, chuckling nervously. "Ushishishi the Prince has had enough for today."

He turned to run but was caught by the furious swordsman who had finally found them. "Oi…you brats…you better be ready for some intense training."

Both Jade and Bel gulped nervously.

* * *

><p>"That utter trash!" Xanxus roared, kicking the messenger across the room. The rest of the Varia stayed silent, not daring to piss off their boss any more. News of the inheritance ceremony had reached the Elite Assassination Squad and Xanxus was in full rage mode. "They want me to show up to that trash's inheritance ceremony? Fucking bullshit!" he continued yelling.<p>

"Oi boss, you don't have to go-" Squalo started saying.

A glass met his head and Xanxus yelled, "Of course I'm not going you scum!"

"VOII What the hell was that for?" Squalo yelled back, clutching his head.

The two continued their screaming match until Xanxus ran out of wine and demanded that the swordsman go bring him more. As much as Squalo wanted to retort, he stormily left the dining table and went to get more.

She wasn't sure what possessed her to speak up, but without thinking Jade found herself saying, "Why doesn't Xanxus-nii-sama want to go to Tsu-kun's inheritance ceremony? It's a very important time for everyone isn't it?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Xanxus slowly looked up at her and growled, "What did you say trash?"

Affected by the palpable tension in the room, she stuttered weakly, "But Tsu-kun…is my…friend…" Her voice trailed off when she saw the maniacal look in Xanxus's eyes.

"That…_trash_…is your friend?" he asked slowly.

Against her better judgement, she nodded. And suddenly the man exploded. His voice decibels louder than it normally was, he bellowed, "Fucking trash! I'll rip you to pieces! Get the fuck out!"

Levi opened his mouth to say something and was shot in the arm for his troubles. Xanxus then pointed the still smoking guns directly at her. For the first time since arriving at the Varia mansion, Jade felt true fear fill her. She stared directly at the barrel of the gun aimed at her.

As the man pulled the trigger, she was dragged out of the way and suddenly Squalo was there again, sword out, as he roared back at their enraged boss, "Fucking lousy boss! Touch her and I'll fucking cut you to pieces, you trash! What's your problem? She doesn't know anything! Why are you taking it out on that brat?"

Jade trembled, still paralyzed with fear, tears forming in her eyes. "Xanxus-nii-sama…?" she whispered hesitantly.

A hand took hers and slowly pulled her away from the dining room. Once they were outside, Lussuria patted her shoulder gently, "Stay away from Boss for awhile alright Jade-chan?"

Mammon floated over to the girl and frowned, "Muu what possessed you to make Boss that angry?"

"I…I didn't…" she spoke softly, fear constricted her throat.

The baby allowed her to grasp the bottom of his cloak as always and waited for her to stop trembling, before speaking again. "You don't know anything and we wanted to keep it that way, but since it's come to this, I guess I have to tell you." The baby sighed, "Normally I would charge a fee, but this is an emergency so I'll just tell you."

He then proceeded to brief her about the series of events that had taken place before her arrival in the Varia, where they had attempted to stage a coup d'état and failed, resulting in Xanxus's frozen state. After that, came the battles between the Varia and the middle schoolers that had taken place when she was imprisoned.

Jade's eyes widened in realization at what she had said and without another word, she ran back into the dining room. Squalo and Xanxus were still fighting, but she dodged the gunshots, sword swipes, and tableware being tossed around. Grabbing Xanxus's sleeve, she shouted with her eyes closed, "I'm sorry Xanxus-nii-sama! I didn't know about anything and I said something really rude and inappropriate! I deserve to be punished so please don't do anything else to Squalo-nii!"

The two men quieted down immediately and stared at her in surprise. Her eyes were still tightly shut, but her resolve was firm. Xanxus glared at her for a moment before sitting down again. He sighed, "Somehow I just can't get rid of you, can I trash?"

She opened an eye and peered at the man cautiously. He seemed to have calmed down and the overwhelming killing intent had disappeared. "Oi trash, go get me some more wine" he growled, waving his hand at Squalo.

The swordsman ran a hand through his hair agitatedly and then cursing, stomped out of the room. The rest of the Varia silently took their seats again and resumed eating what was left of their meal. By the time Squalo got back from the cellar, they were all chatting aimlessly again, as if nothing had happened. The swordsman took his seat, muttering, "Don't fucking understand this place."

Xanxus suddenly smirked and with a glance at Jade, said, "You have training with the shark tomorrow and don't even think about coming to hide in my room."

She froze and then nodded, resigned to her fate. Squalo glanced back and forth between the two of them and then suddenly yelled, "VOOIIII You've been hiding in his room all this time? You brat! Just wait until tomorrow!"

Jade whimpered, shoving a piece of meat into her mouth.

* * *

><p>"Brat, get down!" Squalo yelled.<p>

Jade ducked, and behind her an unseen assailant was skewered by a wave of knives. She nodded her thanks to Bel who only grinned before returning his focus to the enemy. Turning, she spotted a man sneaking up on Squalo who was locked in combat with the boss of the mission. Biting her lip, she sent her sai flying out of her hand to skewer the man in the side. Using the remaining sai she carried, she fought her way over to the swordsman to provide backup. Yanking her sai out of the dead body, she brought it slashing down on another man who sought to attack her.

She was breathing heavily; normally on Varia missions, she was assigned a corner to wait in and the rest of the team would lead their enemies to an area where she could finish them all at once. With the memories from the future however, they knew that having her use her special powers wasn't a choice if they wanted her to remain as she was. So she was instructed to fight with the rest of them.

The men around her had started pulling out box weapons and were using wide scale attacks to decimate the enemy ranks. She slipped her ring on and Heiwa sprang out of his box, stamping his hooves. The reindeer continued to stamp the ground, spreading rain flames as he did so. Soon the entire room was covered in rain flames and anyone who stepped in them was visibly slowed down. Having been warned of the attack beforehand, the Varia were all standing on their box weapons and avoiding the ground. Bel and Squalo were perched on top of Alo, the shark, Mink circled Bel's neck as usual. Levi had somehow managed to balance on Livya, his electric ray; Xanxus lazily reclined on top of Bester; and Lussuria was clinging to Pea-chan, his peacock. Since Mammon had no problem flying on his own, he continued torturing men with his illusions.

Jade took the chance to increase her flames, effectively stopping most of the enemy's movements. The Varia took their time picking off the men that were now milling around slowly on the floor. When the last man was taken down, Heiwa immediately disappeared back into his box, and Jade collapsed on the floor, the exhaustion of using so much flame showing clearly.

Alo came to a stop in front of the girl and Squalo picked the girl up, tossing her over his shoulder. At the same time, he shoved Bel off of the shark, telling him to walk on his own. "Voi boss. Is that all we needed to do?" he asked.

Xanxus returned his guns to their rightful place and grunted, "Make sure you write the mission report trash." He then glanced at Levi and said, "Give the brat something to drink later, trash."

Glowing with delight at being asked to do something by his beloved boss, Levi responded eagerly, "Yes Boss! I will make sure to get the best juice for Boss's little sister!"

* * *

><p>She dodged the bullet that was fired at her and ran forward, stabbing her sai straight through her opponent's stomach. Ever since Vongola Nono had announced the inheritance ceremony, many small families had been popping up, expressing their objections. The ones that couldn't be negotiated with were left to the Varia to cut down. And they were very efficient in their operations.<p>

She was so used to all the blood that she didn't even flinch when someone managed to sneak up behind her and slash her back. She stumbled, the pain spreading, but twirled her sai so that it was facing the man, and stabbed him in the stomach. He dropped like a rock, bleeding out slowly. Likewise, she sat down on the ground and focused her flames. They covered the wound, stopping the pain, and slowing the blood loss.

She slowly stood up again and rushed back into the fray. A red blur sped by her and she managed to throw herself out of the way just in time to avoid being burned. It seemed that Bel wasn't the only one who possessed a storm mink. The little creature continued to zoom around, attempting to burn her. She covered her sai with a light coat of rain flames and then went after the destructive box animal.

It evaded her attacks nimbly, but she persisted, attempting to trap it in a corner where she would be able to dispose of it. The pest was ridiculously quick however and continued zooming around. She let Heiwa out of his box and the reindeer stamped his hooves angrily, enveloping her in a bubble of rain flames. As the storm mink zoomed towards her, it passed through the protective barrier and stopped. With a quick swipe of her sai, it disappeared.

"Ushishishi the Prince was going to take care of that pest personally" Belphegor said, popping out of nowhere. "How dare that peasant copy Mink."

She turned to look at him, nodding. Before she could look away, he had grabbed her face. As he peered into her eyes, his expression darkened, and he dragged her out of the middle of the fight. "You're done. Stay here."

She wanted to protest but seeing the look on his face, nodded without protest. As she watched the Varia take care of the rest of the opponents, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the men she had cut down that day and the day before. Those men might have had families, they might have been loved, might have been expected to return. She had cut those men down without a thought. When had she learned to kill so cold-bloodedly? When had killing become a habit for her? The screams echoed around her, blood splattering everywhere. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to shut it out. Those sounds were the sounds of men struggling to live; they had futures that she and the Varia were cutting off. When had she decided that it was okay to kill?

The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. Before, she had killed apathetically, taking down groups of men all at once, once they were rounded up like cattle. She had been killing in such a way that it made death seem like a dream, like she really hadn't done anything at all. Now that she was in the middle of battle, it all seemed so much more realistic to her. And she was frightened. She was destroying people's lives. She was _killing_.

The Varia finished up the rest of the opposing family easily and she hurried after them, avoiding the dead bodies scattered across the floor. Mammon seemed to notice her skittish nature, because he floated over and took his place on her head, comforting her. The familiar weight however only served to frighten her more. These people were cold hearted killers. How could they go about daily life as if they were simple office workers? How could _she_ go about daily life the same?

A sudden tug on her hair had her squeaking. Mammon spoke softly so that only she could hear, "It's our job to kill, but that does not mean we cannot honor the dead. Because we understand how easy it is for life to end, we live life all the more fully, so as to not waste even a single second of time."

She nodded slowly in understanding, knowing that what he was saying was true, but then whispered back, "But it's not fair Mammon-tama. We killed them."

"Life isn't fair. One of life's most important rules is that the strong live on. Be strong and live."

_Life isn't fair._

The baby then tugged on her hair again and said, "How long were you planning on hiding that back injury of yours? Muu if you don't get it treated, it'll cost more money later on."

She apologized profusely, but shook her head, "It should already be healed by now." True to her words, the cut was already gone, leaving only a faint scar.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hi everyone! Here is the start of the Inheritance arc! Nothing much has happened yet in terms of manga plot but starting next chapter, stuff gets serious so look forward to that!

I was thinking that Jade seemed to be getting further and further away from her innocent mindset so the last part of this chapter is her backing up a little. I thought it was necessary since she is supposed to be very innocent and killing with such ease doesn't suit her (unless she's in her berserk mode).

Any constructive criticism is welcome! I still can't seem to give Levi or Lussuria very many lines…this is where my bias shows up in my writing OTL

Please read and review~

I actually would've updated sooner if hadn't been ridiculously glitchy for the past...I don't even know how long. You don't understand the horror of updating your fanfic and then checking stats and seeing that no one has read it. D: Was in complete depression mode for like two days before I realized it was a being dumb again. orz


	13. Chapter 13: The Inheritance Ceremony

As they arrived at the inheritance ceremony, Squalo let loose one of his infamous roars, getting the attention of everyone around them. "VOOOOIIIIIII!"

Spotting Tsuna's startled face immediately, Jade made a beeline for him. The Varia followed and Squalo smirked, "It's been a while, you scum!"

Around them, there was frantic whispering, everyone cowering in fear. Dino smiled wryly, "Squalo, you really don't change. Where's Xanxus?"

"Our boss is absent! Like hell he would come!" The swordsman yelled back. He then turned to Yamamoto, "Vooiii you haven't been skipping training have you?"

"Haha! Of course not!" the boy replied cheerfully.

Immediately sensing something was wrong, both Squalo and Dino dragged Tsuna a little ways away and confronted him. Jade strained her ears, but couldn't hear what they were saying. So shrugging, she turned to Yamamoto, "Takeshi-chi, I came to visit like I promised."

He grinned, "Yeah, I'm glad Hisui-chi."

She frowned a little, staring at him for a moment, and then stomped over to Tsuna. "Tsu-kun, why is Takeshi-chi acting weird?"

He gaped at her for a moment and then stammered, "Ehh…well, I think Yamamoto's not feeling too well…yeah, that's it!"

She glanced back at the cheerfully laughing baseball player and scowled, "That's not Takeshi-chi is it? Is it Chrome-chan's illusions?"

Tsuna suddenly dragged her away, hushing her, "Keep your voice down Aiko-chan! We don't want anyone else to know!"

"Eh? Where is Takeshi-chi then?"

He looked around nervously, his eyes darting back and forth and whispered, "I can't tell you right now, but you'll know later."

"Oh. Okay." She straightened up, acting natural, and rejoined Mammon and Bel who were bickering. She stuck near them, fearful of the number of people who had shown up. If only Yamamoto had been there, she would have had someone to talk to; but now she was on her own.

She stayed near Tsuna's guardians and was introduced to the Shimon Family. Kozato Enma was the quiet bullied member of the family. Strangely enough, he reminded her of Tsuna. Shitt P. was the strange alien-like girl, wearing two large inflatable rings. Kaoru Mizuno was a large boy, who looked more like an old man than anything. He had a sorrowful look on his face. Rauji Ooyama was a bit round and looked lazy. Koyo Aoba, if anything, was as extreme as Ryohei, and extremely interested in boxing as well. Adelheid Suzuki, the other girl in the family, was tall with a powerful aura, much like Hibari. Julie Katou was a man that didn't draw much attention; as if he could almost disappear into crowds without a trace. All of them had the same pair of crimson red eyes.

While they were all friendly enough, she felt the oddest sensation that she was being watched very closely. Feeling uncomfortable, she bid them a quick farewell and went to rejoin Bel and Mammon.

A sudden spike in killing intent had her wheeling around only to come face to face with Hibari. She gasped and backpedaled, running into Bel in the process, "Hibari-san!"

Bel frowned at the arrival of the person who had startled the girl so much. He started to drag her away but was displeased to find that she wouldn't budge. "It's rare for you to show up on your own" Reborn commented from nearby.

"A student was attacked on our school grounds. I will bite the culprit to death."

Jade's eyes widened in alarm and she looked at Tsuna who had joined them. The boy could only nod gravely. Her face hardened and she once more looked around her, this time suspicious of everyone present.

Hibari growled, "What are you doing here Aiko Hisui? I believe you returned to Italy of your own accord?"

"I came for Tsu-kun's inheritance ceremony of course! I'm part of the Varia too!" she replied defiantly.

His eyes narrowed, "Grouping yourself together with that group of herbivores and that monkey king. Do you wish to be bitten to death?"

Before she could respond, Bel wrapped an arm around her stomach and pulled her back, snickering, "Ushishishi the peasant came because the Prince ordered her to. Little skylark-san has nothing to do with it."

This seemed only to piss Hibari off more but he strode past them without another word. Bel's smirk widened and he let go of Jade, ignoring her questioning gaze. Mammon floated over and took his place on the girl's head, tugging on her hair, "Let's go."

* * *

><p>The event was formal, with the different families all lining up to witness the procession. "Now, we shall commence the passing of the bottle, which is proof of the Vongola Boss since Primo's generation. It will be handed on to Vongola Decimo, from Vongola Nono."<p>

A large burly man came walking down the aisle carrying a box on a cushion. The Vongola Ninth carefully opened the box and removed a small vial, "I pass this on to you, Decimo."

Suddenly there was a loud screeching sound that had everyone clutching their ears in pain. There were explosions all around them and people were yelling in panic. Through the smoke, she could see the Ninth's guardians had already surrounded him and were in defensive positions. "Looks like it'll be fine to leave the Ninth to the Guardians!" Squalo shouted.

They all whirled around aimlessly, looking for the mysterious attackers. Slowly the smoke cleared to reveal disgruntled men, and a bleeding Ninth. However, more importantly, the bottle of Sin had been smashed on the ground. Immediately, injuries or no, Vongola Ninth took charge of the situation. "Seal off all the exits! Don't let anyone escape!"

His guardians reported back immediately, "We've sealed the exits. We'll start analyzing the security camera footage now."

"Everything is as planned. It shouldn't take more than five minutes to find the culprit."

"Everything is as planned?" Tsuna asked hesitantly.

"It looks like the culprit's motive was to destroy the Sin" Reborn replied gravely.

Seeing the worried look on the boy's face, the Ninth reassured him, "Do not worry about it Tsunayoshi-kun. That was a fake, a replica of the Sin made to lure the culprit out."

"A fake?"

"The real Sin is safely stored in the vault in the next room. The flames that shield it is made of our seven properties and cannot be destroyed by any weapon or dying will flame."

"To have planned this far, you're incredible Ninth!" Gokudera praised.

"We will catch the culprit, no matter what it takes. I will take responsibility for what was done to Yamamoto-kun."

Suddenly someone came running in, "Bad news! The vault…has been broken into!"

"That's impossible!"

"What happened to the shield of seven flames?"

"It looks like they got through! Huh? Something's in the room!" One of the guardians whipped out his gun, but just as soon as he had, the gun was pulled from his grasp by an invisible force and broken into pieces instantaneously. Large pieces of ice came flying at them and the guardians summoned a flame barrier. But it was of no use and they were forced to crouch down to avoid the attack.

They waited with bated breath for the attackers to reveal themselves. What stood before them as the wall cracked, was the Shimon family. "We're taking back the Sin. This blood belongs to the Shimon family."

"…what…are you talking about?"

Adelheid stepped forward, "As you know, we came to this ceremony in order to take back the Sin."

Tsuna's group seemed stunned, frozen in horror and then Tsuna voiced what he had been thinking. "The ones who attacked Yamamoto…"

"Yes, that would be us." Enma replied

"We needed this" he continued, opening the bottle of Sin and pouring it on his ring, "in order to regain our power and take our revenge on the Vongola!"

Overwhelmed with fury, Tsuna activated his hyper dying will mode, the question in his heart ripping itself out, "WHY?"

"You're the ones…who hurt Yamamoto?"

"Yeah. That's right Tsuna-kun."

"WHY? Why would you do such a thing?"

Expressionlessly, Enma responded, "He was a Guardian of Vongola. It was a rightful atonement."

"WHAT?"

"Originally, our plans were to let you all live until the ceremony. We didn't want to give ourselves as the enemy until we obtained the Sin." Adelheid spoke up, "However, now that you know our identities, we must eliminate you all. Just as we did with the Giegue family."

"What did you say?" The Ninth's guardians interjected, "So you're the ones who attacked the Giegue family too?"

"Yamamoto Takeshi saw the plans Mizuno Kaoru had, and the Shimon Ring." Adelheid continued without pause.

"Shimon…ring?"

"I've never heard of such a thing." Reborn stated.

"Of course you haven't. The Shimon ring is a great treasure of the Shimon family that has been asleep in the depths of the earth. No one knew of it until it surfaced after the earthquake not too long ago. Orders to protect the grave of the first boss of the Shimon Family, Shimon Cozart, had been passed down from generation to generation. The earthquake uncovered treasures from Shimon Cozart's grave."

"And the one key to awakening the rings was the blood of the first Shimon boss, called Sin." Enma said.

"So you're saying that Vongola's heirloom is the blood of the first Shimon boss?"

"Ninth. Is this true?"

"No…I've never heard of such a thing…"

"How foolish of you Nono. That just goes to show how rotten Vongola is, inside and out. Don't you wonder why no one in the Vongola family knows what is inside of the Sin anymore? The answer is, your ancestors tried to hide the truth in order to throw all evidence of their errors into the darkness!"

"So I shall tell you the truth. During the first generation of the Vongola family, the Shimon family fought alongside them like brothers. Even amongst the Vongola family, hey were close in standings. When Vongola made an attempt to conquer all the lands of Europe, they planned to overthrow the strongest family during those times. And in order to achieve that, they cast the Shimon family as bait. The first boss of Shimon agreed to it and brought along merely fifty family members to a battlefield of twenty thousand enemies. Shimon lured the enemy out as ordered, and waited for their rescue. But no matter how long they waited, it never came. It wasn't long before Shimon was surrounded by the enemy on all sides and by the end of the hideous battle that lasted an entire night, the first boss was torn from limb to limb and most of the family had bet a merciless end!"

"The first boss of Shimon…was betrayed by Vongola Primo and left to die!" Enma growled.

"The Vongola family destroyed all evidence of this battle in order to hide the truth. And as if that weren't enough, they put the blame of defeat on the remaining Shimon family, saying that they lost because of Shimon's arbitrary acts. After that, the Shimon family saw nothing but hell! They were looked down upon by the entire mafia world and lost every connection they had. Treated as eternal criminals, they were forced to walk a path that would never see the light of day!"

"W-wait! I have never head of that story! I knew that the Shimon family was close to us, but it's been said that they disappeared overseas of their own accord!" Vongola Ninth stammered.

"Thought you'd say that." Julie Katou snickered, "Never heard of it! Don't know what you're talking about!" he mimicked them.

"How about you Tsuna-kun? Within your body runs the blood of Vongola who betrayed us." Enma said quietly.

"I don't deny that the blood of Vongola runs within me. Neither do I have the ability to find out what really happened between Vongola and Shimon. I can't prove that it didn't happen. But there is one thing I can swear on my grave. Vongola Primo is a man who would never do such a thing."

"Are you mocking us? You speak as if you've met him before!" Koyo shouted.

"We have no intention of lending an ear to your excuses. The ones who have the right to speak are us." Adelheid continued, "The Shimon family will make a declaration here. Kozato Enma will inherit the title of Tenth Shimon Boss and take his revenge on Vongola."

Enma continued where Adelheid had left off, "I will gather mafia from all over the world and stand above them as leader. This war will be a war to regain the pride of Shimon."

Adelheid poured a drip of the Sin on her ring, "It is time to have a glimpse of our real power." The others followed her example.

The overwhelming force that came pouring at them caused explosions everywhere. It was only Gokudera's Sistema C.A.I. that protected them from utter destruction. "Haha, the Vongola flames are weak."

At their enraged expressions, they continued, "Do you know why Vongola Primo eliminated us, Shimon, from the world? It is because our ancestors had a power that could rival Vongola's and it scared him. A power neck and neck with the seven flames of the sky, the seven flames of the earth!"

"Because of this power, Shimon is brother to the Vongola family. And because of this power, we were betrayed by Vongola. This flame…exists to regain Shimon's pride!"

"You're wrong!" Tsuna shouted, "We understand your painful past and the reason of your anger, but hurting people won't help you regain your pride!"

"Stand back Adelheid. I'll be fine alone. I can take down Tsuna-kun and his guardians."

With that the battle was on. However before any of them could move, they were suddenly flung to the side by an invisible force. Enma clenched his fists and they were slammed into walls, creating craters where they landed. Another wave of his hands, and the four guardians were crashed into each other before plummeting into the ground. As he watched the defeat of his guardians, Tsuna's rage rose and he shouted "STOP!"

"Do you know why I haven't attacked you yet? I want you to taste the pain the first boss of Shimon was dealt by Primo."

"Enma!"

The guardians struggled back on their feet but were once more shoved into the ground. As they struggled against the invisible power that gripped them, their Vongola rings started cracking, the sound audible even with all the screaming going on. Enraged, Tsuna flew at Enma. They met head on but Enma seemed to effortlessly force him back. They fought for a little longer, exchanging words, but it was clear that Tsuna had the disadvantage.

"VOOIIIII! Stop right there!" Squalo roared. Taking that as the signal, the Varia sprang forward, Jade with them.

Adelheid had other ideas however, and with a flick of her hand and a brief "Outsiders should stay out of it", they found themselves trapped by a barrier of sharp icicles. They froze, unable to move without being impaled on razor sharp ice.

"Let's leave Adelheid. It looks much too easy to kill them. If we killed them instantaneously, they won't taste the pain Shimon has gone through."

She nodded, "You're right. We can kill them anytime. What we need to show them is a living hell."

Julie Katou grinned and picked up an unconscious Chrome, "I'll take you along too. We have date plans."

"Chrome!" Tsuna shouted.

"Tsuna-kun, you'd better worry about yourself." A second later the boy was slammed into the wall again, and his Vongola Ring cracked under the pressure.

From where she stood, Jade concentrated. It should be okay to use her power just this once, right? If they got away, they'd only get more powerful. She focused her power and a black haze appeared around the Shimon family. As she was about to release her attack however, Julie Katou glared at her. The look sent her reeling and she lost control of the flame. Unable to redirect the blast, she took the damage herself. The use of power had her gasping and coughing weakly. The man laughed deridingly, "Maybe I should take you with me too, cutie."

Even as her eyes widened and she started to shake her head, the icicles around her had broken and she was dragged towards them by the same invisible force. "Julie, no more than this." Enma declared firmly.

The man laughed, "Sure, sure, Enma-kun."

As Julie's hand came down to clamp firmly on Jade's shoulder, she felt a familiar presence. Her eyes shot open in fear and she screamed, attempting to get away. "No! No! Let go! Stop!" she continued screaming, unable to prevent the panicked feeling from rising in her.

"VOOOIIIII LET GO OF HER YOU FUCKER!" Squalo bellowed.

"Squalo-nii! Squalo-nii!" she shrieked, all limbs and tears, "Help me! No! Don't let him take me!"

A hand placed upon her throat had her motionless. "It was only a matter of time before you came back to me, I told you that." The man murmured quietly into her ear.

She whimpered, tears pouring down her face.

"Today is the start of Vongola's end and the beginning of the new Shimon." Adelheid said one last time, before all of them turned around and left. Jade sent one last look of desperation at them; the look piercing Bel and making him snarl angrily at his helplessness. They disappeared in the blink of an eye.

* * *

><p>"Julie, why did you bring that girl along?" Adelheid demanded, "She's not even a guardian."<p>

The man smirked, "Adel, could you possibly be jealous?"

Without blinking, the girl brought her knee crashing into his stomach, "Who's jealous?"

Coughing, he crumpled on the ground, and held up a hand in surrender, "Alright, alright, I'll tell you." He stood up, "That girl possesses a different kind of special flame. If we let the Vongola keep her, they might use her power to attack us. So I brought her here so that she couldn't interfere."

Although she gave him a suspicious look, she didn't question the matter further. "Well then, I think I'll go check on Chrome." He sang happily.

* * *

><p>Jade shook Chrome furiously, trying to wake her up. "Chrome-san, please, we have to get out of here! Chrome-san!"<p>

But the girl was completely knocked out and unconscious. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Jade backed away from the bed and hid in a corner. Julie came in, a skip in his feet, "Chrome-chan! Oh, still asleep, well that's a shame. Oh well, you're cute even when sleeping." He turned his gaze to Jade and his eyes narrowed, "This other girl on the other hand, is a complete eye sore."

He walked towards Jade and grabbed her face, staring into her eyes. "It's still not enough. I'll have you kill more, bitch. You'll receive the ultimate weapon and then it'll finally be in my grasp! How long have I waited for this? Too long for it to fall through now. I'll have you fall into the deepest pits of hell for me!"

He grabbed her by the neck and dragged her out of the room. "A bitch like you should stay away from my cute Chrome. I have plans for her that you can't interfere with."

Frozen with terror, Jade allowed herself to be thrown into another room. She didn't move even when he let go of her neck and left. It was only when she finally snapped out of her trance that she realized he was gone and curled up into a ball. _It's him. He came back just as he said he would._ She started crying. _Will I never be free of him?_

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

_What? Who was that? They looked so familiar? Those cloaks, those bandages, that aura…Vindice! But…why am I seeing this? What does this have to do with me?_

"Our existence is that of revenge. We possess no feelings other than hatred. We have come here to fulfill our promise to Vongola Primo Taru Giotto and Simon Secondo Cozart. Giotto and Cozart were bound by their unfettering friendship. For that reason, Vongola and Shimon must never cross swords with one another. And thus, should that situation ever arise, we have created a law that the losing side shall be erased from existence forever. This is the second time that this law has been put into motion. The losing participant in this fight will be confined in our prison for eternity."

Tsuna' group started gasping and talking, but Jade couldn't hear anything they were saying. The man spoke again, "The decision has been made. Go forth, descendants of Giotto and Cozato, fight!"

"We are not referees for your battle. We are keepers of the law, we shall carry out your sentence. We await the moment the loser of this battle appears."

Adelheid shouted something to which the Vindice responded "What is at stake in this battle…is pride! The loser will be those who have their pride broken."

And then she was back in pitch darkness. Trapped and waiting for whatever came next. Questions ran through her head. _Why did I see that? Is it important for me to know what happens? Why do I see whatever the Vindice do? What are they and how am I related to them?_

She was jerked out of the darkness and greeted by a smiling face. Julie Katou was right in front of her. She opened her mouth to scream and he raised his hand threateningly, "Just try screaming, you bitch."

Immediately her mouth shut and she stared up helplessly at the man. Filling her vision, he hissed, "Tell me what you saw."

* * *

><p>She screamed as the whip came down upon her back. The leather was coated with some sort of acid that made the wounds burn even more than usual. But as quickly as they appeared, they also faded away, leaving only pain and the memory of terror. "<em>Tell me what you saw<em>" the man repeated, threateningly.

She shook her head, somehow sensing that it was important that she didn't reveal too much of what was happening to her. Why she was privy to what the Vindice were doing seemed like something that no one else should know about. So, keeping her mouth firmly shut, she endured another beating.

_I will break you and bend you to my will._ The physical pain was excruciating, but the words the man spoke terrified her even more. They promised pain and unending fear. She attempted many times to separate her mind from her body and hide in a better place as she had done in the future, but something was preventing her from doing so. She couldn't find that soothing refuge. She was trapped.

"The battle has been decided." Chains came slithering out from under the cloaks the Vindice wore. They clamped around both boys' necks firmly and their limp bodies were dragged away.

"Vongola…Shimon…Both guardians' knees have fallen. Since they both lost this battle, we shall imprison both of them."

Tsuna was shouting something to Ryohei, who lay a bloodied heap on the ground. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hear a thing they said. Slowly the chains and bodies disappeared. "One fight is over. Now, that which has been entrusted to Giotto and Cozart…we bring to you the first key."

A bag shone brightly and she was sucked in. There were Giotto and Cozart from the past. Giotto handed Cozart a bag, and the two of them laughed, shaking hands. The vision ended and once more Jade was left confused about what had happened.

Once again, Katou Julie entered the room, demanding that she tell him what she had seen. And again, she denied to have seen anything. She tried to keep her mind off of the pain and fear by thinking about what she had happened.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I've updated but here is the next chapter which is right smack dab in the middle of the Shimon Family Arc (which is probably not even called that but I can't be bothered to look it up right now).

I actually am kinda unsatisfied with this chapter because most of it is just me describing what happened in the manga. But I felt like it was necessary because not everyone has read the manga (some people just stopped when the anime stopped which is understandable). So I felt like it was necessary to explain some things. Please be patient with me. I promise I'll get to the good stuff. :)

Please read and review as always~


	14. Chapter 14: Turning Point

Her next days were filled with misery. Katou Julie would take every chance he had to come and terrorize her, making sure she didn't forget everything he had done to her. Weaponless, defenseless against his mental attacks, and truly terrified, she could do nothing. When he wasn't torturing her, her mind was filled with images of the Vindice and her friends. Each time she saw different people. First it was Tsuna and his group speaking to the Vindice. Other times it was people that closely resembled Tsuna and Enma, talking and laughing. Who were they? Who was she? What did the Vindice have to do with all of this?

She slowly started losing her mind, believing that she was truly going insane. How else would she be seeing these people that she didn't know?

_I will break you and shape you to my will._

The man's words haunted her day and night. And the part that scared her the most was that it was all coming true. She was losing her grip on reality. Sometimes when he walked in, she would see a different person, but the way he spoke to her remained the same and she knew that she was just hallucinating again. Sometimes she would unconsciously obey him and do as he asked. Once he came in with another person, a girl who looked strangely familiar. But it couldn't be who she was thinking of because this girl obeyed his every order. Again her mind was playing tricks on her.

* * *

><p><em>Why do you fear?<em>

"_Who…"_

_One who would help you. Tell me, why do you fear?_

"_The man, he hurts me."_

_Why do you let him hurt you? Why do you not fight back?_

"_I…I have nothing to fight him with…"_

_You have our power. There is always that. Have you forgotten even that?_

"_Power…?"_

_Remember and you shall overcome._

She opened her eyes. Those voices had sounded so familiar; who were they? And what power did they speak of? She stared down at her dirty hands and then closed her eyes again, searching within herself for the answer. Power? There was an inkling of a thought somewhere in her. It was black and deadly.

Suddenly, she remembered things like going on missions with a group of people. The Varia. She was swift and powerful, able to fight back in those memories. She was a confident and loved girl. She had the ability to fight back! It was deep in her! That special power that belonged only to her!

She would survive with this power. The man couldn't take it for himself! The spark of life burned strongly once more, but she suppressed it quickly. She couldn't let the man know that she had recovered, had to pretend that she was still weak and fearful.

The door slammed open and Katou Julie walked in. Quickly, she lowered her eyes and pretended to be despondent. "Come, it's time for us to watch the destruction of the weak Vongola Tenth." He held her by the throat threateningly, "Don't try anything stupid. If you interrupt my date with cute Chrome-chan", his face darkened, "I'll kill you."

Chains around her hands, she followed the man and Chrome quietly. They walked a ways and then hid in a small patch of trees. What she saw there was the girl, Suzuki Adelheid, facing off against Hibari Kyouya. Upon seeing the Cloud Guardian, a small spark of hope lit up in her heart, but she beat if down fiercely. Hibari wouldn't save her. She would save herself this time.

As Hibari made his way down the waterfall, Julie asked, "Well then, Chrome-chan. Who's the number one bad guy out of everyone here, can you tell?"

A dull look in her eyes, the girl pointed up at someone. "If you don't say anything, I can't understand you, y'know. C'mon, speak up now!"

A soft familiar voice replied, "Vongola Tenth candidate Sawada Tsunayoshi."

A mist faded away and laughing, another man appeared. "Nufufu that's exactly right. Sawada Tsunayoshi has inherited the thick blood of the Vongola Primo. He's a dangerous factor of the Vongola. We must eliminate the remainder of the Vongola Primo's bitter legacy. In order to do that, we need my own abilities. You know what it is you can do for me, right?"

"…Yes…"

"Say it with that mouth."

"This body and Rokudo Mukuro…I offer them to Daemon-sama."

Jade gritted her teeth, wanting to shove the man away from the girl. But she could do nothing. This new man that had appeared had been in her hallucinations often. Was this Katou Julie or was this the man's true form? She couldn't tell. Neither form seemed to be an illusion, so which should she attack?

She froze. When had she started thinking about attacking this man? Before she had always thought of running away and getting as far away as possible; when had that changed? When had the feeling of fear turned to hatred?

As she thought to herself, Hibari started fighting Adelheid. She found herself unconsciously watching them, envying how strong Hibari was. The way he moved, the confidence he carried himself with, the utter disregard for others' opinions. It was all beautiful. The boy was the epitome of everything she wanted to be.

Hibari easily won the battle, annihilating the fakes that Adelheid had attacked him with and then breaking through her ice castle defense. At the girl's loss, the Vindice appeared and chained her up as well. "The loser is Suzuki Adelheid. The battle is over, therefore that which has been entrusted by Giotto and Cozart…the fourth 'key' shall be revealed. Behold."

What came into her mind was a memory of Giotto and Cozart, the first generation bosses of Vongola and Shimon. Cozart was in trouble and Giotto had planned on helping him. But someone had stopped the young Vongola boss. Someone who looked exactly like the man. She turned to look at the man with wide eyes, unable to believe that someone who was an exact replica of the man in the memories was standing in front of her.

As Tsuna's family and Adelheid broke out arguing, Hibari turned in their direction and flung a handcuff at them, "Hey, you over there…who are you?"

The man darted out of the way just in time, having changed back to look like Katou Julie. He popped out of his hiding place, "Looks like you found me. Oh well."

"Julie!" Adelheid seemed genuinely surprised to see him.

Tsuna's side however, was more concerned about the fact that Chrome was standing motionlessly behind him.

"Julie…you'll take care of Enma…won't you?"

"Of course, leave it to me. You did well, Adel." He suddenly grinned, "And from here on, I'm going to go ahead and leave my place in the Shimon Family."

They were all shocked at the sudden change of character. He continued speaking, "Looks like I don't have any need to continue this awful charade. Adel, I needed you to lead the Shimon as its passionate driving motivation, but you being taken away will indelibly dismantle the family. The Shimon guardians have nothing left. And when Enma fully awakens, he'll emotionally be gone past the point of no return, so there's no problem."

A stricken look on her face, Adelheid whispered, "What are you…saying…Julie…?"

Looking back and forth between Julie and Adelheid, Gokudera asked, "Is this a falling out?"

"It wasn't a one faced rock after all." Reborn stated, "Finally, it seems like he was that dark force behind the Shimon."

The man smiled, "Oh! Very good intuition, Arcobaleno. With the Vongola making it this far, there's no need to hide anymore." The mist around the man started disappearing. "Actually, better yet…allow me to go ahead and introduce myself…to the rotten, young, Vongola family."

The mist completely disappeared, revealing the man they had all seen in the memories shown to them. "Mukuro?" Tsuna cried.

Jade jerked in surprise. She hadn't realized just how similar the two men were. "No, someone else…" Hibari growled.

It was Gokudera who figured it out first. "That's him! The First's guardian of the mist, Daemon Spade!"

Daemon Spade. The name rolled off her tongue fluidly. Finally, _finally_, she had a name as well as a face that went with the man that had terrorized her for most of her life.

The others were concerned about something else however. "No way…how could this happen?"

"A gho…is he a ghost?"

"Common sense dictates there's no way he could exist in this time. Are you the genuine, real deal Daemon Spade?" Reborn asked.

"Whether you believe it or not…I exist. I continued to exist so that someone like you could be born Sawada Tsunayoshi."

They all dissolved, arguing and chattering in confusion. "But…why would you do all this…?" Tsuna finally asked.

"Why, you ask? That was decided long before you were ever born. It's for the sake of the Vongola." His tone left nothing to be doubted. He was deadly serious. "The Vongola truly needed a leader that could surpass even the Primo. But in the mafia world, greed and power are what ultimately become absolute justice. With the Primo's nature, it would have been impossible for him to do what was necessary to create a perfectly flawless, giant Vongola family. Therefore, I took care of that for the Primo. I allowed him to be free and close his eyes and plan the foundation for what the Vongola is today. In order to create a strong Vongola, I was prepared to do anything that would be necessary. I wiped out anything and anyone that could have possibly weakened the Vongola. …Like the Primo's best friend, for example."

"That's impossible…you're the one who set up Shimon Cozart?"

"The Shimon Family's power was starting to get a lot of attention in those days, so it was becoming a threat. Furthermore, Shimon Cozart was beginning to inspire these ideas and feelings of weakness within the Primo. He was a dangerous person, so it's only natural what happened."

"You bastard! Then the first Shimon was-!" Adelheid yelled angrily.

"It was a glorious fate." Daemon said, his face taking on a demonic look. "And now in this day and age, that someone would once again try and succeed the Primo's intent…In order to crush this foolish Tenth boss candidate…the Shimon's dormant power and their amplified hatred have finally created a most suitable situation…to cut open the way to a brand new Vongola."

"You bastard! You used us, didn't you? Then you planned to use the Shimon to overturn the mafia world from the very beginning?"

"My goal was actually the overturning of the Vongola. Inside my head… there is nothing but thoughts of the future of the Vongola."

"How dare you?" Adelheid screamed, struggling against her bonds.

Daemon smiled at her, "You've done so well, Adelheid."

The girl froze and then struggling against her bonds even more furiously, she yelled, "WHERE'S JULIE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JULIE?"

"Nufufu there's probably a slight bit of that garage left inside of me."

"YOU BASTARD!" She slumped down in defeat and tears poured down her cheeks. "…I'm sorry…Enma…"

"What unsightly tears. You're a bunch of inexperienced children, after all."

"I won't forgive you!" a new voice shouted.

Jade turned too late to see a person had crept up on them. With a drill that came out of his hand, Kaoru Mizuno ran Daemon through. "You…bastard…Mizuno Kaoru!"

The new arrival held him firmly, the drill spinning in his stomach, despite the fact that he was already coughing up blood. Chrome raised her trident and came forward, calling, "Daemon-sama!"

"W…wait…" he choked.

"How dare you deceive us…how dare you to Koyo, to Rauji, to Shittop-chan, to Adel…"

"It's not very nice to eavesdrop, you know…I still had a use for you apart from beating Yamamoto Takeshi to the verge of death." Daemon said, mist forming around him.

At the words, the man faltered a little but then replied firmly, "Shut up! We Shimon…are not your play things!"

Suddenly the mist thickened and Daemon slid right through Kaoru, his scythe piercing the man's chest in the process. While the others panicked, Hibari stepped forward, his eyes boring into the man's. "You there, you seem rather interesting. My kind of prey exactly. Shall we have a little contest?"

"I'd stop right there if I were you. You used up most of your flames in the battle with Adelheid. You cannot win against me."

"I don't know about that. You might just be trying to bluff me out."

"Oh…? I'm surprised you were able to see through that. Even so, I'm telling you I'm stronger than you are. But that troublesome situation of all of you joining together and attacking me at once…is still a possibility." He directed his attention to the girl at his side, "Chrome."

She walked forward and then planting her trident into the ground firmly, created a powerful mist barrier that surrounded the Vongola guardians, separating them from Spade. Jade was excluded, clearly forgotten in the commotion.

"You cannot step one foot from here."

"What are you saying, Chrome? We came to save you!" Getting no response, Tsuna tried again, "Why, Chrome? Why are you listening to Daemon Spade's orders?"

"Because I belong to Daemon-sama…and thus, so does Rokudo Mukuro's body."

"Did she say…Mukuro?"

"In order to create a strong Vongola after you kids are gone, I need a strong, tough, and healthy vessel. And there I found a perfect match for what I'm looking for. Rokudo Mukuro." Spade explained calmly.

"Most likely, in order to be able to interact with our reality, he needs something to be inside…a body. The reason that he's gone after Chrome is to get to Mukuro." Reborn reasoned.

"But Mukuro's body is in the Vindice's prison!"

"Nufufufu don't worry yourself with those details."

"It looks like I'm going to have to bite you to death right here." Hibari took another step forward, "Rokudo Mukuro is _my_ prey."

Daemon Spade broke out laughing, "How interesting! But if you were to break the mist curtain, it would cause quite a disaster. It's no ordinary security barrier. If this barrier gets broken, its creator, that is, she, would die."

They all turned to look at Chrome who had a blank look in her eyes. Taking the moment of distraction, Jade leaped forward and using the chain that was binding her hands together, attempted to loop it around Spade's weapon and pull it away from him. He had a firm grasp on his scythe however, and turning to glare at her, he growled, "And what…do you think _you_ are doing, you _bitch_?"

She tugged at the chain helplessly and tried to focus on her power. But it evaded her, her fear paralyzing her. He strode towards her and then picked her up by the throat, "I told you…" he said slowly, "not to interrupt!" his voice rose in anger, and he threw her against a tree. Eyes filled with rage, he spoke, "You are a tool to be used by me as I will. The amount of time it took me to finally find you again; I spent years binding you to me, making sure that you would be mine in the end. So stay still and wait your turn to die!" He raised his scythe and brought it down upon the girl. The blade sliced through her stomach and she screamed in pain.

The angry and pained shouts from inside the mist barrier increased as they all panicked. At that moment, the forgotten and wounded Kaoru barreled forward and plunged his drill into Spade again. The man knocked him back, slicing him open in irritation. "You insect!"

Adelheid yelled desperately, "Run for it Kaoru!"

"That Mizuno Kaoru…he's going to be killed…!" Tsuna whispered, horrified.

"Yes, but Tenth! That bastard was responsible for Yamamoto!" Gokudera growled, torn by the situation.

"I thank you for that by the way. Thanks to you, Sawada Tsunayoshi's guardian of rain was eliminated quite easily." Daemon said, advancing on the man. Ready to deliver the final blow, Daemon Spade said simply, "Farewell."

The weapon came down only to be blocked by another. And standing there, was Yamamoto. At Tsuna's surprised shout, the boy replied, "Sorry Tsuna. I ran a bit late!"

As Yamamoto faced off against Daemon, Jade breathed shallowly, trying to stop the blood flow so that her wound would heal more quickly. Although it was a larger wound, she had noticed that the speed at which her injuries were healing had slowed down significantly. Unsure what that meant, she could only assume the worst. There was a time limit on her body's capabilities and she was nearing that limit.

As the wound finally stopped bleeding and started closing, leaving behind a white scar, she looked up. Only to see Kaoru throwing himself in front of Yamamoto and taking an attack that was meant for the swordsman. "Takeshi…with your ability…there's a chance you would have been able to dodge that one…" he gasped. "But for now…I've repaid my debt to you!"

"The battle has been decided." The chilling presence of the Vindice once more arrived on the scene. A chain snaked out and locked around Kaoru's neck, pulling him towards the man in black robes.

"What are you doing, Vindice? Kaoru hasn't even decided what pride he's fighting over!" Adelheid yelled desperately.

"That may be, but this man's pride is already broken. Therefore we acknowledge Mizuno Kaoru as the loser."

"I'm sorry…my pride was placed in the Shimon. For the Shimon, I was prepared to do anything…but…betraying all those friends who were so kind to me…it was just too much…my heart ached with pain…I want to atone for the crimes I've committed…" Kaoru cried.

Tears pouring down his face, he asked, "Forgive me…I no longer have the capability to fight the Vongola…"

"You always were a useless piece of junk, Mizuno Kaoru. But in the end, you managed to do something. Thanks to you losing, we get to watch a wonderful show." Daemon said, amused.

"Now that the battle has been decided, I present the fifth key. Behold."

Daemon smirked, "At last. I'm sure you've already figured out what you're about to see in this next memory, haven't you? The execution of my plan to tear a man apart! The final moments of Shimon Cozart!"

The memory that flowed into their minds was gentle however. It uncovered the truth behind what had really happened. They were interrupted by Daemon's furious shouts, "That's impossible! Are you saying that the Primo saw through my plan?"

"Shimon Cozart…"

"…wasn't killed after all."

"It seems as though the handed down history of the Shimon family has been rewritten." Reborn spoke from where he was.

"Vongola Primo never betrayed the first Shimon! Their friendship never wavered at all!" Tsuna cried happily.

Daemon was livid however, "How dare you, Primo! You faked Cozart's death!"

"But…if he was never assassinated…Cozart should have been alive well after the battle ended." Gokudera said, confused.

"Th-that's right! But then why is there no record of him living afterwards?"

Sadistically, Daemon said, "Even I haven't detected a trace of his existence up until now."

Jovial laughter broke through their reverie, and Yamamoto said, "Well, it's all good then, isn't it? Shimon Cozart was fine after all."

Suddenly the Vindice made their presence known again and the chains around Adelheid and Kaoru tightened and began dragging them away. Tears pouring down her face, Adelheid said, "Sawada…I have…a favor to ask of you…It's about Enma…" She looked up, making eye contact with Tsuna, "Please, save him!"

"That boy…Enma's heart is now broken beyond the point of reach. The past of Cozart and his companions won't even reach him." She continued, "The only thing left that can save him is you... Up until the day before the inheritance ceremony, he believed in you. Just like Vongola Primo and Shimon Cozart."

As her body started disappearing with the Vindice she said, "I don't expect you to be able to forgive me for all the harm that I've cause you up until now…but I'm sorry…"

As Kaoru was pulled away as well, he said, "Takeshi…if it's alright with you…from here on out…let's be friends." With that, he was gone.

Loud laughter echoed around them, "Those that can be led astray by people of the past are just foolish children! Of course I was surprised by the discrepancies between the past I knew and Primo's version of the past. But the me living in reality cannot be affected by people buried in the earth." The man looked up, having gotten over his surprise. "The future of the Vongola that I envision…I will not allow any amount of events that occurred in the past to possibly jeopardize it!"

Outraged, Tsuna and Gokudera called him out, but were interrupted by a quiet Yamamoto. "Tsuna. Why don't you take a little break." There was a dark expression on his face as he spoke, "For the sake of his own desires, he used Kaoru and the Shimon as mere playthings. This ghost of the past that brought this much suffering to all of you…" His face twisted with anger. "I'll kill him myself."

From there he proceeded to show them the power of his upgraded Vongola gear. He seemed to dominate the illusion user, able to sniff out where he was despite the powerful illusions the man was using. However as the battle heightened, Chrome stepped forward and held her trident forward protectively. "You shall not pass."

"Please move." Yamamoto asked politely.

"…no."

"It's all right, Chrome. You can step down."

She nodded but before she could move, Yamamoto said, "Wait, Chrome! I have something to give to you." He brought out the Mist Vongola Gear ore and tossed it to the girl. "We'll always be waiting for you!"

She caught it clumsily but then at Daemon's signal, left, fading into mist. Daemon walked over to where Jade was still recovering and grabbed the chain that was on the ground. "It's too close to the moment to let you go. I've waited generations for this." He started disappearing as well, taking Jade with him.

She raised her hand pleadingly at Tsuna's group but they could do nothing as she vanished without a trace. Yamamoto's worried, "Hisui!" was the last thing she heard before she found herself in the castle once more.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

I've ended up retelling what's happening in the manga for this entire chapter and it makes me want to vomit blood. BUT it is necessary I think, since a lot of people haven't read the manga and would be completely confused. So please put up with this and probably the next chapter. I promise PROMISE promise I will get to the good stuff soon enough.

So, uh give me feedback and let me know how I'm doing haha. Stuff like have I made Daemon Spade a big enough douche yet or should I put in more/less dialogue here or there. Stuff like that. :)

Please read and review~


	15. Chapter 15: Among Friends

As they entered the castle, Daemon Spade took the form of Katou Julie once more. He pushed her into the room where Enma was. He walked up to him cheerfully, "I hardly even recognize you Enma. It looks like the Shimon Ring has finished its awakening." He winked, "And me too."

Enma looked up at him dully and Daemon continued. "Actually I have some really bad news for you. Adelheid and Kaoru…they both got beaten."

Enma twitched and repeated the two names hollowly.

"That's right. It was those guys again. Those guys have taken away everything that's important to you."

"…Even…Shimon Cozart…even Mami…by the Vongola…by Tsunayoshi…" The ground around the boy exploded and Daemon jumped back. "…Must…kill…kill…Tsunayoshi…"

"Geez. What incredible power. With that attitude, you're gonna wreck the island. Ahh, with nowhere to go, the flame is starting to burst out from the earth. Anyhow, I'm sure you'll be fine. The Shimon ring eats up and controls weak hearts. Looks like you've completely snapped." He grinned, ruffling Enma's hair.

The illusion disappeared and he appeared in his true form, looming over Enma like a puppet master. "Nufufu it's too late for anyone's voice to reach you now. You've been completely reborn as a killing machine. And your massive killing intent will do some good for that bitch as well." He started walking out of the room, leaving Jade in the presence of a completely changed Enma. "I'll leave the elimination of Sawada Tsunayoshi to you. When everything's over, we'll have to celebrate in the morning. I want you to take Sawada's skull and crush it like glass." He burst out in maniacal laughter and the door slammed shut behind him.

Silence fell and Jade stared to turn at the monster that was now Kozato Enma. The killing intent and hatred pouring off of him hit her like a ton of bricks and she breathed in little gasps, trying not to be overwhelmed. She tugged at the chain around her neck and thought briefly about breaking it with her power. But the idea was immediately abandoned. If she used that destructive power now in the presence of all this hatred, she herself would be consumed. She was already feeling the itching feeling deep inside of her that wanted her to kill and kill and kill. Much longer in this place, and she herself would go berserk.

A scratching sound came from the door and she whipped her head around in fear. The door slowly opened and three faces peered inside. "Look, inside…"

"Yeah, someone's there!"

"Who is it? I've never seen him before, that white haired bastard…"

"What an overwhelming killing intent…is it one of Daemon's new assassins?"

"No…you're wrong…th-that's Enma!"

"What?"

"That monster-looking thing? But now that you mention it…"

Blinking slowly and trying to force back the rising killing intent in her, she recognized the people that had just walked in. "Takeshi…Tsu-kun…Gokudera-kun…"

"Hisui!" Yamamoto called, running over to her, while remaining wary of Enma. A swing of his sword and the chains came undone. She clung to the boy weakly, "Takeshi…Enma-san's killing intent…it's affecting me…I-I might go crazy…"

He picked her up easily and carried her over to where the others were, murmuring, "I'll protect you Hisui. I promise."

At that moment, Natsu went bouncing over to where Enma was, an excited expression on his face. "Must…kill…" A wave of killing intent stopped the lion in its tracks and it went running back to Tsuna who picked him up soothingly.

"Enma! It's me!" he called. "You saw it yourself, right? Shimon Cozart was never betrayed by Vongola Primo!"

The boy was muttering to himself "Shimon…Cozart…Vongola Primo…he…killed…Cozart…Mami…everyone…Vongola…he killed…Tsunayoshi…he…killed…" The boy's flames suddenly started pouring out of the ground, the overwhelming power forcing them back.

"That bastard! He's not even listening to what we're saying!" Gokudera growled.

"It's just like Adelheid said" Reborn stated grimly. "No one's words can reach Enma now. He's become a ball of resent and murderous intent… The Cozart that's over there isn't the Cozart that we know. There is no way we're going to be able to reason with him now."

"Our only hope is to use all the power we have to get him to understand…"

"Wait. Please leave this to me." Tsuna said.

"Tsuna…"

"But, Tenth…"

"It's okay. Enma's going to be fine." He said. The look on his face was completely confident and reassured them all immediately. Basking in the glow of pure intentions, Jade felt some of the strain disappear.

"Okay, well in that case we'll leave it to you, Tsuna!" Yamamoto replied cheerfully.

Ever faithful, Gokudera said, "Please be careful, Tenth!"

A deep voice interrupted them, "What are you talking about? That little runt is my prey."

"H-Hibari-san!"

The boy spotted Jade and walked over, "Well, I supposed I can wait for you to be killed first. Afterwards, I'll bite him to death."

"Whaaa? You're…just assuming that I'll be killed?"

"Hibari, you bastard! You're totally looking down on him!"

"Hey, hey! Calm down Gokudera!"

The cheerful atmosphere and pointless banter made Jade giggle, the anxiety and pressure disappearing completely. Hibari glanced at her, frown deepening and she bit her lip, trying hard not to laugh. Bowing a little, she whispered, "Sorry Hibari-san."

He turned away, satisfied by her response and immediately, she dissolved into giggles again, hiding behind Yamamoto.

"Hibari-san…I'm sorry!" Tsuna swallowed his dying will pill, "Well, here I go!" His demeanor changed immediately, becoming serious and stately. With Natsu perched on his shoulder, he called, "Enma! Listen to what I have to say!"

The boy only continued muttering to himself, "Kill…must…kill…"

Jade frowned. Is this what she looked like as well when she was swallowed up? The notion was frightening.

"If my words won't reach you, then I'll reach you with my fist!"

"Tsunayoshi…must…kill…"

"Open your eyes, Enma!" Tsuna shouted, flying towards the boy.

Seven black balls shot out of the Shimon Boss and pulled by the gravitational force, Tsuna was thrown here and there.

"Did he get sucked in?" Yamamoto asked.

"This is the power of gravity. It's likely that Enma's earth element power is the ability to manipulate gravity freely."

"That's got to be it! That would explain all of the things that seemed like psychokineseis up till now!"

Reborn frowned, "That sphere has as much gravity as a star."

Meanwhile Tsuna increased the power of his flames, gritting his teeth, "I can beat this!"

Suddenly the balls began cracking and burst. "Huh, what's that?"

"When a star is crushed by its own gravity, what's born afterwards is a black hole."

"A black hole?" Gokudera exclaimed, "Even light itself can't escape its absolute gravity!"

"That's right. Getting pulled in even once would be the end. It has the ability to destroy absolutely anything."

Tsuna was clearly struggling to get away from the black hole that wanted to pull him in. He activated his new Cambio Forma, and shot forward. Swooping in, he seemed to freeze and was hit by large pieces of the castle that had come free. He reached forward, shouting, "Enma! It's me! Open your eyes Enma!" With all his strength, he punched the boy in the face.

There was a pause and then a murderous look was directed at him. "Must…kill…"

There was an increase in flames and suddenly the ceiling came crashing down on Tsuna who grunted in pain but didn't attempt to dodge. "Can you hear me, Enma? I'm here! Here I am!"

Suddenly Enma blinked, his eyes clearing up. "Tsuna-kun!" he called. He clutched his head in pain and Tsuna yelled, "Enma! You're back to yourself, aren't you?"

"Tsuna-kun…I…"

"It's okay now! I came to save you."

"Tsuna-kun…just like the Vongola Primo…you didn't betray me…" Enma said gratefully. His expression turned dark, "But…it's no good…it's too late…I can't control my own power anymore…"

Pulled into one of his own black holes, he screamed, "Run away! Everyone's going to be killed!"

"No!" Tsuna yelled, "I'm going to save you! I'm going to do it!"

Getting out of the range of the black hole's suction, he pointed both his hands forward and said solemnly, "Operation XX."

And then he fired a blast of high purity sky flames. Not daring to look away from the magnificent sight in front of her, Jade felt the warmth and love in the flames seep into her. "I'll save you no matter what! My pride is at stake!" Tsuna yelled.

By the time the dust cleared, Tsuna was no longer in his hyper dying will form. Coughing miserably on the ground, he was slowly helped up by Gokudera. They looked around for Enma and found his coughing painfully a little ways away. "I thought you had disappeared! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Tsuna-kun..." Enma said, his voice apologetic, "I'm sorry. Because of our mistakes…all of this happened…"

Tsuna shook his head, "It's fine. It's not your fault."

"Yeah, Daemon Spade was the one responsible." Gokudera commented.

"Can I ask you one thing, Tsuna-kun? You said, 'my pride is at stake'. What exactly is your pride, Tsuna-kun?"

"Hmm? Oh! Is that all?" Tsuna said, smiling brightly. "My pride is… you." He continued, "To tell you the truth, from the time I got here until now I had no idea what it was. Until just now I hadn't even thought about pride for a moment. I didn't even think that I was capable of having something amazing like that. But Hibari-san taught me that pride is something that you can't ever surrender. If that's what pride is, then I can answer sincerely and confidently. My pride is my comrades. My friends." He looked around at the bright happy smiles.

Jade wiped away tears and walked over, arms outstretched, to envelope the boy in an affectionate hug. "Tsu-kun, I love you too."

Yamamoto laughed even as Gokudera started pulling her away from the flustered boy, growling, "Don't touch the Tenth so easily, brat!"

* * *

><p>"Everything was Daemon's doing. I can't believe that he would go as far as to possess Julie…"<p>

"Tsuna-kun…you came with your friends to rescue Chrome?"

"Yeah."

"Would it be all right if I came along? I want to help all I can!"

"Enma!" Tsuna cried, happiness lighting up his face, "O-Of course!"

As they prepared to start moving, bickering and chatting happily, Jade felt an earnest smile spread across her face. It had been so long since she had seen her friends, but she was glad they hadn't changed.

"The loser has been decided." A deep voice intoned ominously. The smile disappeared instantly and she turned in fear.

"Vindice!"

"The loser is…the Shimon family boss, Kozato Enma."

"W-wait! We don't have any ill feelings towards each other anymore at all!" Tsuna cried desperately, "There's no point to this battle anymore!"

"This battle cannot be stopped until the very end. This law was set in place by your ancestors. We present the sixth key."

* * *

><p>"Thank you. You really saved me, Giotto."<p>

"It's been years since the four of us have been together like this, hasn't it, Cozart?"

"Yeah…"

"How are you going to deal with that traitor Daemon?"

"G…" Giotto sighed.

"I've got an idea about that." Cozart interrupted, "Why don't we just stay quiet about everything that happened here? Our Shimon family was killed in battle with the Vongola. What if we just let that be the truth?"

"What? What are you saying Cozart?" Giotto burst out angrily.

"I have this strong feeling that getting rid of that man Daemon won't be a simple task. If we were to try and eliminate Daemon Spade, there would be much sacrifice involved. On the other hand, if Daemon continues to live, we Shimon would become your weak point. So if we just disappeared from this world and went into hiding, then everything would be fine, right?"

"Do you understand what you're saying, Cozart? To disappear from the world and continuing to live on in the shadows, what's so heroic and grand about that?"

"You need not worry, we're pretty reclusive people, after all." Cozart grinned.

"What about the children? You plan to just have your future generations carry that burden?"

"I do." Cozart said, the look in his eyes completely serious. "Our family is not so weak."

"…Fine… But I want you to swear something to me. That as long as the Vongola exists, the Shimon will always be there in the shadows supporting us…"

Cozart smiled, "I see. In that case, I swear. The Shimon family feels no resentment or bitterness towards the Vongola family for this incident. No matter whatever happens, from now until the end of time, our families will always be close."

"Yeah."

G and the girl next to him bowed their heads in reverence for the oath taken.

"You've said the words. Now I must uphold the mafia law. Giotto-kun and Cozart-kun."

"It's him! Vindice!" Cozart exclaimed.

"Or…should I call you Bermuda von Vichtenstein?" Giotto asked, his eyes narrowed.

* * *

><p>The memory ended, leaving them all in shock. "That baby just now…is it an Arcobaleno?"<p>

"Hey Vindice!" Reborn growled, "Why do you possess that clear pacifier?"

"We have no reason to tell you. Kozato Enma. You are the Shimon boss, so you will stay and watch the battle of both families until the end. Your imprisonment will be taken care of after the battle of your final guardian."

"Final guardian battle…?"

"Does he mean Chrome…? That means her opponent will be Katou Julie…ah! That means…Daemon Spade!"

Jade couldn't think. Her mind was filled with questions and confusion and chaos and in the midst of it all, she blurted out, "Vindice! Who was that girl?"

The man disappeared and then reappeared at her side instantaneously. He reached a finger forward towards her forehead, "It is time for you to know the truth" was all he said.

The girl's eyes closed and she breathed shallowly. A moment later, her eyes opened again, brimming with tears. The man lifted her face up and looked at her eyes. "Three fourths of the way there. You do not have much time left."

With those last cryptic words, he disappeared. Jade collapsed on the ground, still in shock. Worried, they rushed over. "Hisui, what happened?" Yamamoto asked, slowly helping her up.

She stared at him and blinked, seeming to snap out of whatever reverie she had been in. Wiping the tears away, she shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"More importantly, we have to go save Chrome-san. That man…" her voice shook, "He's unforgiving. I don't want him to hurt her."

Although they didn't know the details, they had heard from Yamamoto the sight he had seen when he had gotten to the warehouse the girl had been kept at while they were off fighting for the Vongola Rings. So Daemon Spade had been the man hurting Jade all along?

They picked themselves up and started making their way through the castle. Jade stayed at the back, walking next to Hibari. "Aiko Hisui, are you crowding around me?"

She chuckled, "Hibari-san is really nice to let me."

The boy scoffed, "Don't let it get to your head."

Smiling sadly, she leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to his cheek, shocking him. "Thank you for everything Hibari-san."

The look in her eyes made him frown and he grabbed her arm, "Why do you sound as if you are prepared to disappear? When did you become such an herbivore?"

"That man isn't someone who can be defeated so easily… I'll probably have to help out…but the truth is, I'm terrified of him. He scares me like nothing else. My entire life, I've been haunted by him. To fight him, I'll probably go berserk again…and if that happens…everything might end."

Not saying anything else, she continued walking in silence.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hey! It's been a ridiculously long time (it seems to me) since I've updated! Blame school and all the new anime that's airing this season. Plus I'm trying to catch up to One Piece (aka marathoning my way through 500 something episodes...my eyes are going to fall out...)

Anyways! I hope that was a good update! Things are finally starting to happen and Jade's past is going to be revealed soon so look forward to that :) I have a brief question for anyone in passing: if I write an entire chapter that's a flashback/past thing, do you want me to stick with italics like I've been doing for flashback type things? Or would you prefer it non-italicized? Is it more difficult to read that way? Lol the things I think of. :P

A side note: This chapter was originally supposed to be called "Confrontation between Friends" BUT IT WOULDN'T LET ME TYPE THE LAST "S". And that would've bothered me like hell so I changed it to "Among Friends". (Not that anyone pays attention to chapter names, but...you know :)

Anyone else miss the Varia? Cause I sure as hell do...but they don't show up for a really long time unfortunately. LOL That was so mean...giving people false hope. Wahaha~

Please read and review~


	16. Chapter 16: Her Past

Jade couldn't think. Her mind was filled with questions and confusion and chaos and in the midst of it all, she blurted out, "Vindice! Who was that girl?"

The man disappeared and then reappeared at her side instantaneously. He reached a finger forward towards her forehead, "It is time for you to know the truth" was all he said.

Immediately memories started pouring into her mind.

* * *

><p><em>She had been on her way home with a bag full of groceries when she saw it. A group of men dressed in all black hurrying past her. While it was suspicious, she paid no mind to it. The mafia reigned freely on the streets after all and getting involved would do her no good. So she shoved the event to the back of her mind and continued on her path.<em>

_Not too far up, the group of men had stopped. Biting her lip, she decided that she would just pass by them rather than trying to find another route that may or may not end up with her lost. In hindsight, looking at what the men were doing as she passed was probably not a good idea, but at the time, her head had just naturally turned in their direction._

_The bag of groceries dropped from her hand, hitting the ground loudly, as she stared at the massacre in front of her. The alley way was covered in blood, dead bodies littered the ground. And it had all been done without a single sound. Realizing her mistake, she frantically bent over to retrieve her groceries, but it was already too late. There was a blade pressed to her neck and a smooth voice whispered in her ear, "Nufufu what did you see?"_

_She shook her head as best she could without slitting her throat, and replied nervously, "I saw nothing signore. I was just passing by and dropped my groceries. So if you could-" she broke off as he pressed the weapon closer to her throat._

"_You will come with us silently. Make a sound and I will kill you. Try to call for help in any sort of way and I will kill you. Cause trouble and I will kill you. Attract any more attention to us and I will kill you. Do you understand?"_

_She nodded, clamping her mouth shut tightly. Groceries forgotten, she was dragged into the alley. The smell of blood flooded her nostrils and she tried not to breathe in the smell. As they walked, the man asked, "What is your name?"_

_Hoping it meant that it was okay for her to speak again, she quietly replied, "Flavia Giordano."_

_He suddenly came to a stop and pressed her against a wall, "Well then regretfully signora, our journey together ends here. Arrivederci Flavia Giordano."_

_Her eyes widened in realization at what came next. In one swift motion, the blade of the scythe cut cleanly into her neck. It was funny what you noticed when you were on the verge of death. In the moonlight, she could make out the outline of his figure. A clean cut, well dressed man, with a rather odd spiky hairstyle. She stared at him blankly as her vision went dark._

_He let go of the limp body and it collapsed motionlessly on the ground. He waited, making sure that she truly was dead before leaving._

* * *

><p><em>Flavia got up, her hand on her throat, and stared in the direction the man had walked in. Why he had chosen to spare her life was beyond her but she hoped she would have no more dealings with him or the mafia he was associated with. Mafia in general, she decided, were bad news. She carefully made her way out of the alley and hurried home, wanting only to sleep and forget everything that had happened.<em>

_The next few days were uneventful, her life continuing on as always. The memories of that night had been shoved aside in favor of living simply. All that remained of that night was a thin white scar on her neck, a memento from the man, she supposed. She had just finished making a delivery and was on her way to pick up some bread for that night, when she felt a prickle of discomfort run up her spine. _

_She had the oddest feeling that she was being followed. Abandoning the idea of bread, she quickly left the plaza, heading for an alleyway where she could sniff out her stalker. As she casually turned another corner, she caught a glimpse of the person following her in the corner of her eye. Her blood ran cold, and she resisted the urge to quicken her pace._

_Nevertheless, she was in a pinch. She couldn't go back to her home and let the stalker know where she lived, or even worse, let him corner her in the abandoned path; at the same time, she couldn't risk going back to the plaza and blending in with the crowd, for fear of someone unrelated getting hurt._

_She sighed and kept walking, trying to buy time. As she turned another corner however, there was a strangled choke behind her. Against all rationality that told her to keep walking and ignore it, she whirled around and saw the same man she had met that night. Gaping, she quickly turned around and ran in the opposite direction. Hoping the man hadn't seen her, she continued running back to her house._

_As she neared her house, her pace quickened. She couldn't hear the sounds of anyone behind her. With luck, the man wouldn't have seen and therefore wouldn't be tempted to rectify his earlier acts of mercy. She unlocked her front door, slipped in, locked the door behind her, and let out a sigh of relief._

"_You have a nice place here Signora."_

_She let out a startled squeak, upon turning and coming face to face with the man she had been trying to avoid. And with his scythe raised and eyes burning, she had clearly had good reason for avoiding him. "Tell me Flavia Giordano. How did you escape death that night?"_

_She gaped in surprise, unable to think normally, so great was her shock. Finally, she stuttered, "You…you didn't cut me that deeply, right? You let me escape on purpose?"_

_The scythe came up to caress her neck again and he said, "I don't use this weapon to leave scars. I use it to kill. Now tell me, how did you survive?"_

_She shook her head cautiously, "I really don't know Signore. I thought you had spared me!"_

_The weapon lowered, the man staring at her intently, "You don't appear to be lying."_

"_Oh no Signore! I wouldn't lie to you! Not about something like this!" Before he could reply, she scooted away from his scythe, still babbling, "You aren't thinking about trying to kill me again, are you Signore? I promise I didn't see anything that night, nor will I tell anyone about what happened today! Only, please let me live, Signore._"

_The man's weapon disappeared into thin air and he grunted irritably, "Very well, you are already more involved than you know. A few men of another famiglia saw you last night and believe you are involved with the murder of the men we killed. As it is our fault, The Vongola will take responsibility and protect you."_

_She choked a little at his words, "Vongola? You are from that famiglia?"_

_His eyes narrowed, "You have heard of it?"_

_She laughed a little, "Who has not heard of the Vongola. The vigilante group that protects the poor and does not act as normal mafia do. I did not know that such a group had even nobles at its command."_

_The man chuckled, "Nufufu you are observant indeed, my dear. Perhaps we can make use of you."_

_Hesitantly, Flavia asked, "Then Signore, if we are now on the same side, perhaps I may know your name?"_

_The man smiled and bowed formally, "Nufufu my apologies Signora Giordano for my late introduction. I am Daemon Spade."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Giotto, this is Signora Flavia Giordano. I reported her circumstances to you earlier."<em>

_The blonde man looked up and smiled, "Daemon, I was wondering where you had gone off to. So you brought her back then?"_

_Flavia stared around the office in awe. While it wasn't much in terms of riches, it was much nicer than her modest house. Upon the inquisitive look Giotto was giving her, she clumsily curtsied, murmuring politely, "Signore Giotto. I apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your kind offer."_

_The man laughed warmly, "You don't need to refer to me so formally, just Giotto will do. And it's really no inconvenience since it was our fault that you became a target in the first place."_

_He then turned to his mist guardian and said, "Daemon, perhaps she could stay with Elena?"_

_Daemon seemed against the idea however, "We could put Elena in unnecessary harm's way!"_

"_But there is nowhere else for her!" Giotto argued back._

_Looking back and forth between the two, Flavia interrupted them hastily, "You don't need to find a special place for me. I'll be fine staying in my house on my own."_

"_Now see what you've done Daemon! You've made our newest family member feel uncomfortable!"_

_The doors opened and a woman walked in, going straight towards said man. With a light hug, she pulled back and asked worriedly, "Any injuries? Are you well? How did your mission go?"_

_Daemon reassured her, "No injuries, I am doing fine. The mission was fine…" his voice trailed off at Giotto's look and he corrected himself, "We encountered a minor setback. We may have put a young lady in danger; therefore we are now trying to decide where to move her so that she will be safest."_

_The woman hit him lightly, "Are you really puzzling over such a matter? She should stay with me obviously! Where is she? I will go welcome her now!"_

_Flavia curtsied again, "I am Flavia Giordano. It is nice to meet you Signora Elena. Thank you for your kindness."_

_Elena smiled and swept Flavia into a warm hug, perfume and loving aura surrounding her. Relaxing at once, she hugged the beautiful woman back. But Daemon was still worried, "Elena, this is dangerous! She is now a target of a very influential family!"_

_He was ignored; his lover preoccupied with the new girl that had been brought into the family._

* * *

><p>"<em>Asari, G, Alaude, Knuckles, Lampo, this is Flavia Giordano. Due to a mistake on our part, she is being targeted by an enemy family. So she's going to be staying with us for awhile. Please treat her well."<em>

_G rolled his eyes, "How did Daemon screw up this time?"_

_Giotto sighed, "She was passing by when he was taking care of an assassination. Somehow the other family saw her and she got involved."_

"_I will arrest that man some day." Alaude muttering, his hand moving towards the pair of handcuffs he carried with him._

_Daemon chose that moment to enter the room, "Nufufu I see everyone is here. Have you all been told the news?'_

"_Bringing innocent women into our business isn't good. Our lord would be displeased." Knuckles replied somberly._

_Lampo commented idly, "My, my, all this extra work just because of a little mistake on your part Daemon. I don't want to be bothered by all this."_

_Daemon raised his scythe a little and immediately the teenager shrank back, hiding behind the priest, Knuckles. Flavia chose that moment to come forward and bow politely to them all, "Thank you for taking care of me and I apologize for any trouble I might cause."_

_They examined her. She was a woman of average height, thin and delicate looking. Her dirty blonde hair framed her face nicely, emphasizing the pair of light green eyes that stared back at them all. _

"_Flavia-san, is it?" Asari asked. At her confused look, he explained, "I am originally from Japan. 'san' is a polite form of addressing someone, similar to signore."_

_Before Asari could get carried away and start explaining all of Japanese history to the girl, G took charge of the situation. "Oi Spade, she's staying with Elena, isn't she? Make sure you take care of her then."_

_Bowing mockingly, Daemon took Flavia by the arm and started pulling her out of the room, but was stopped when she asked curiously, "How does Signore Alaude fight with only handcuffs?"_

_They all turned to stare at her and the man in question walked over briskly, yanking her out of Daemon's grasp to face him. "How did you know I fight with merely handcuffs?"_

_She explained, "I've seen Signore Alaude patrolling the streets many times at night and I've only ever seen you with a pair of handcuffs. So I was a bit curious…" her voice trailed off when she noticed the looks she was getting from the men present. "Um…did I say something wrong?"_

"_Spade, you brought back a smart one didn't you?" G asked, lips curling into a wry grin._

_The mist guardian sniffed haughtily, "Of course. I told you she could be useful, didn't I?"_

"_It's still too risky for her to go out as a spy and observer right now since she's being targeted, but once that dies down, perhaps she could work for us." Giotto mused. He then turned to the girl and asked, "Do you know how the others fight as well from merely power of observations?"_

"_Well, I assume Signore G uses something with gunpowder because of the smell, most likely small guns that can be hidden easily. I believe he also smokes." She added with a slight frown. "Signore Asari is a swordsman, I'm assuming from the sword he has at his side. Signore Knuckles perhaps uses his fists? I notice he has a lot of bandages wrapped around his hands so perhaps a boxer? But he seems rather religious so I could be mistaken. Signore Lampo actually confuses me a little. He seems rather like a rich lord's son and I can't imagine how he would do in battle. Signore Giotto gives off a peaceful feeling but since he is the boss of your famiglia, perhaps he uses those gloves he is wearing. I can't imagine another reason to always have a pair of gloves on at all times."_

_They listened as the girl picked their individual traits apart and analyzed them calmly. G whistled, "She could definitely be useful."_

_Giotto chuckled, "G, she even called you out on your smoking habits."_

"_Hell, she even got that Lampo is a spoiled rich brat. From the small amount of time that we've met her, she already gleaned so much?"_

_Alaude spoke up, his expression stating clearly that nothing could change his mind. "CEDEF will take her."_

_Daemon chuckled, "What's this, did she catch your attention even, Alaude?"_

_The blonde policeman gave him a withering look, grabbed Flavia's hand, and led her out of the room without another word._

* * *

><p>"<em>Signore Alaude, what is the meaning of this?" she asked hesitantly.<em>

"_You are weak and cannot protect yourself. Therefore, I will be accompanying you to assure your safety." The man replied without faltering._

_She nodded slowly, "I understand that that may be necessary…however," her voice rose a few octaves, "surely it isn't necessary for you to follow me to the lavatory?"_

"_This would be a perfect time for assassins to strike" he said, "While you are not paying attention, your life will be stolen from you."_

_Awkwardly finishing her business, she rejoined him and said softly, "Rather than wasting your time following me around all the time, perhaps you could teach me to protect myself?"_

_Alaude glanced at her and seeing the deadly serious expression in her eyes, nodded. "Very well, I will procure something for which to defend yourself with. For now, however, "he cleared his throat, "such protection will continue."_

* * *

><p>"<em>You have made progress" Alaude said shortly to the girl who was panting on the ground next to him.<em>

"_Thank you Signore Alaude, I want to become strong and be able to protect myself quickly." She replied through gasps of oxygen._

_He glanced at her, "What is your reason for becoming strong?"_

_She smiled a little, "Surrounded by such strong people, I can't help but wish to be able to walk alongside them, instead of having to run from behind them, trying to catch up." At the man's blank look, she continued, "I do not want to always be chasing your backs, Signore. I want to be equal to you all so that I may stand as a member of the Vongola famiglia proudly."_

_The man smirked, "Very well, shall we continue our lesson."_

_Biting back a groan as her body fought against her, she stood up and took a defensive position._

* * *

><p><em>As she followed Alaude around various areas of the mansion, Flavia looked around her surroundings with the air of someone who has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Upon catching her examining a painting while waiting for him to finish some business, Alaude asked, "Are you interested in the arts?"<em>

_She smiled at him, "Not so much the arts as just everything. I believe it is a good idea to gain as much knowledge as possible."_

_He nodded, pleased with her answer, "I will introduce you to Asari sometime. He can teach you much."_

_There was laughter and the man himself turned round the corner, "What can I teach you, Flavia-san?"_

"_Asari-san," she beamed, "Signore Alaude was telling me that you are very knowledgeable."_

_The Japanese man laughed, "Alaude is exaggerating. But I would be glad to provide you with some books and such that you can read."_

_The eager look on her face told him that he had hit a bull's eye and he promised he would procure some good reading material for her so that she wouldn't be bored. They chattered excitedly, discussing books they had read, until a glare from Alaude sent Asari hastily on his way. _

_Flavia returned to walk at Alaude's side sheepishly, realizing that she must have annoyed the cloud guardian with all of her prattle. They had just rounded a corner when a loud "extreme" was heard. She frowned; that was the sun guardian, Knuckle's voice. But the last time she had met him, he had been calm. Had something happened?_

_At the confused look on her face, Alaude murmured, "The boxer is only quiet when he is in his priest robes. The rest of the time, he is as loud as that pink-haired idiot."_

_Was that how it was? How odd. Nevertheless, a small smile made its way onto the woman's face and as they came face to face with the boxer, she greeted him cheerfully. "Good morning Signore Knuckle. What are you doing?"_

"_Oh! Flavia! Come, you should join me in training! You need to be extremely fit and take care of yourself!" Grabbing her arm, he started dragging her at top speeds down the hallway. Raising a hand apologetically to Alaude who was already only a dot in the distance, she attempted to keep up with the enthusiastic sun guardian._

* * *

><p>"<em>Why should I have to do all this work when I'm a rich lord's son?" Lampo sighed as he wrote out the report for his latest mission.<em>

_Alaude didn't even glance at the boy, choosing instead to close his eyes and take a quick nap in the quietest part of the mansion. Flavia however was more inquisitive. "Signore Lampo, how did you end up a part of the Vongola famiglia?"_

"_It's a long story that starts and ends with Giotto tricking me." Lampo said, signaling for her to take a seat as he started telling his tale. She did so, careful not to disturb the cloud guardian next to her. Although the girl tried her best to listen, she was already exhausted from her extensive training with Knuckles; the steady breathing of the man next to her and the thunder guardian's soothing voice slowly lulled her to sleep, and before she knew it, she was out like a light._

_When she woke up, her head was resting on something soft and she was no longer sitting up. Eyes snapping open, she froze when she realized that she was sleeping in Alaude's lap. Quietly, she attempted to get up without disturbing him, but a low murmured, "Don't move" had her returning to her original position._

_She lay there, uncertain, when to her disbelief; she felt fingers running through her hair. Hesitantly, she asked quietly, "Signore Alaude, what are you doing…?"_

_The fingers stopped for a moment before resuming their task, "If you move, I will arrest you."_

_She smiled, content to simply lay there. As she was drifting off to sleep again, she thought she heard the man say something. But it must have been her imagination because there was no way the lone wolf would say something so warm. "Become stronger quickly, so that you may walk at my side."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Flavia, come try this dress on as well!" Elena said, pushing another gorgeous silk dress into the overwhelmed girl's arms. <em>

_Protesting weakly, she was shoved into the dressing room where she resignedly started trying on the dresses. These events were becoming common-place for her. Elena was of course a noble woman and had a vast amount of riches at her fingertips to use as she wished. And her current obsession was forcing her new best friend into all sorts of different creations. _

_As she stepped out in a light green dress that emphasized her eye color, the store bell rang and a man stepped into the shop. Elena waved a hand calling, "Daemon, over here!"_

_He walked over and upon catching sight of the girl in such a lavish dress, chuckled, "Elena, are you bothering the young lady?"_

"_A girl should always be dressed beautifully so that she may face the world with confidence" Elena said, ignoring his comment. She then pulled the girl over to where Alaude was standing as a bodyguard. "Look, Daemon!" She said excitedly, "Don't they look wonderful together?"_

_They did indeed make quite the picture. Alaude with his cold blue eyes and platinum blonde hair, dressed neatly in a dark purple-grey dress shirt, a simple black tie, and a buttoned dark grey trench coat. Flavia with her dirty blonde hair and light green eyes which matched the beautiful dress she was wearing._

_As the Elena and Daemon talked to each other happily, Flavia glanced up at the Frenchman who was standing impassively next to her. He looked relaxed, but she knew that at the slightest hint of trouble, he would be poised and ready to strike. "Signore Alaude, I apologize for troubling you and making you come all the way out here just to accompany me."_

_He merely smirked, "Your training for today will be doubled."_

_At the whimper that escaped her lips, he shot her an amused look, "I suppose since I got to see something nice, I shouldn't punish you too hard. But what would be the fun in that?"_

"_You have a very unique sense of humor Signore Alaude" Flavia said glumly._

"_Hn." He replied thoughtfully, "That dress looks good on you. Why don't you buy a few more?"_

"_Oh no I couldn't! I'm already using Lady Elena's money!" She said, shaking her head furiously. Her action caused her perfectly styled hair to fall out of place a little. Without thinking, Alaude reached over and brushed the hair out of her eyes, reveling in how soft it felt._

_The girl had gone still and was holding her breath at the proximity of the attractive man. Feeling oddly playful, he bent over and whispered in her ear, "Do not forget to breathe."_

_She gasped at the man's words and realized just how starved her lungs were. Turning away, she took deep breaths of oxygen, her face red._

"_My, my Alaude. You are doing a terrible job of keeping her safe. The girl looks as if she might pass out any second." Daemon laughed. He and Elena had been observing the two as they talked._

_Immediately the cloud guardian reverted back to his cold personality and shot Daemon a glare, "It is none of your concern pineapple bastard."_

_Having just regained her composure, Alaude's words caught her off guard, and Flavia dissolved into giggles. Daemon frowned at her, "And just what is so funny about that statement, my dear?"_

"_Pine…apple…" she managed to choke out, before she started laughing again, clutching her stomach. Elena had also started laughing at the look on Daemon's face. Still chuckling, she pulled Flavia away to pay for the dresses they had agreed on. _

* * *

><p>"<em>Signore G, smoking is terrible for your health."<em>

_The man grunted, "Don't tell me you're going to nag at me like Giotto does."_

"_Oh no, I wouldn't dare. I was just stating the fact." Nevertheless, she continued to stare at the cigarette in his mouth._

_He looked at her for a moment and sighed, putting out the cigarette. "Such innocent words make me feel like I've just committed some sort of crime."_

_The girl smiled at him, "It's never too late to attempt to quit, is it?"_

"_Tch, you're a tricky one, aren't you?" he commented, grinning, "So, what're you doing here? Shouldn't you be with that bastard, Alaude?"_

"_Signore Alaude went on a mission earlier, but he seemed to think I would be in danger if I was alone at any time, so he instructed me to stick to you."_

"_That bastard," G snarled, "His sense of humor is twisted as always."_

_Flavia backed up, "If I'm bothering you in any way, I can leave. I do not really think I would be in danger if I just stayed in my room."_

_The man ruffled her hair, "Nah, he was right saying you'd be in danger if you were left on your own." Thinking for a moment, he said, "Maybe you can help Giotto with some papers. I'll be keeping my eye on him today anyways."_

_She nodded eagerly, "Yes, I would love to help in any way I could, Signore G."_

_She followed him towards Giotto's office and he commented idly, "Oh, and you don't have to add the Signore to my name. Makes me feel like an old man."_

_She giggled, "Si, Sig-, I mean G."_

_They walked into the office just as Daemon left, entering the room to find Giotto collapsed face-down on his desk, completely exhausted. "Giotto! What did that bastard do to you?" G yelled, rushing over to his boss._

_Giotto looked up at him wearily, "G…? I'm fine…just tired…"_

"_Signore Giotto, would you like me to make you some tea to wake you up?"_

_The Vongola boss looked over at her gratefully, and asked, "G, can we replace Daemon with her?"_

_The girl chuckled as she made her way out of the office towards the kitchen. She had just the recipe to give a boost of energy to the worn out mafia boss. As she brewed the tea, she thought of her stay with the Vongola. While it was certainly true that they were mafia, they were different than how she had imagined them to be. Ruthless and sly were the first words that came to mind when she thought of the mafia, but when she thought of the Vongola famiglia, she thought of only friendship and warmth. While there were certainly aspects that frightened her, day by day it became more and more difficult for her to remember that she was under their protection from an enemy famiglia._

_She carefully carried the tea back to the office and was about to enter when she heard hushed urgent voices from inside. "What do you mean the famiglia is closing in on her? Why do they want her so badly?"_

"_I'm not sure…Daemon suspects it has something to do with the reason she didn't die when he tried to kill her. He said he was sure he delivered a finishing blow. And yet, only a few days later, she was perfectly fine, with only a scar on her throat to prove that she had been the same person he had tried to kill."_

"_So…what the hell does that mean? Was she involved in the mafia before we found her?"_

"_We can't be sure. For now, keep an eye on her." Giotto's voice sounded disappointed and incredibly sad._

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

And that's part one of Jade's past life! I hope everyone liked it! This is all the fluffy goodness I could come up with (I have to admit I piled it on pretty thick) since next chapter, things get more serious. As a side note, Flavia means golden or blonde and Jade of course refers to her eye color. Idk...I thought it was creative at the time OTL Repeating it makes it sound a bit lame lmao.

To clear up any questions: Flavia and Jade are the same person. Jade is basically the reincarnation of Flavia who lived when the first generation of the Vongola was alive. And yes, she was friends with Daemon Spade. I can't tell you any more than that, but it is important, so keep it in mind! :)

Feedback? Surprised? Happy? Disappointed? Anything is welcome!

Please read and review~


	17. Chapter 17: The Beginning

_They had been walking back from a day spent in the park when they were ambushed. Alaude had acted under instinct, protecting the girl as they dove for a hiding place. He hadn't seemed surprised in the least by the attack, making her wonder if he had known the entire time._

_Flavia ducked just as a barrage of bullets passed by over her. The man next to her growled angrily and pulled out his handcuffs. As he was about to step out, she grabbed his arm, "Signore Alaude! It's too dangerous for you to go by yourself!"_

_He shook off her hands and stepped out of the hiding place calmly. The enemies fired at him but he dodged swiftly and efficiently started eliminating the foes that threatened them. Behind him however, a few men had snuck past and were making their way towards Flavia. Although they approached their target quietly, she still spotted them, and drew her weapons. They charged at her and using her longer range weapons, she fought them back, relying mainly on defense. _

_However, despite everything, this was still the first time she had ever been involved in real life or death combat. It was only inevitable that she would panic a little. A blade slipped past her defenses and sliced into her arm. Faltering, she attempted to ignore the pain and blood. Taking advantage of her distraction, another man cut into her shoulder. A stab at her neck had her ducking, but when she rose back up, she had been disarmed. The pair of long knives she had held was on the floor out of her reach. The men pressed closer, each yearning to take a stab at the girl who had evaded them for so long._

_They cut into her, torturing her, and she screamed. The pain was immeasurable. As they were about deliver the finishing blow, a pair of handcuffs clicked around one of the men's throat and then was torn out, taking the man's head with it. One by one, without any mercy, they were slaughtered. And all that was left was her bloodied body and an impassive cloud guardian. Blood filling her mouth, she coughed weakly, "Signore Alaude…"_

_It may have been her hallucinating, but she thought she saw at that moment, the man's face twist with rage and sorrow. He knelt next to the bleeding girl and held her head in his lap. "I will arrest them all" he spoke softly, forcing her to strain herself to hear._

_She shook her head weakly and attempted to sit up. "Signore Alaude, all is well. You do not need to take revenge because I am fine."_

_She wiped some of the blood covering her away to show him the already rapidly healing cuts. "I do not know why but I heal at an abnormal rate. Unless I am shot through the heart or a vital organ, I do not believe I could die."_

_He released a breath he didn't know he had been holding and he shook his head, "For someone so weak, you are full of surprises."_

* * *

><p>"<em>I believe that is the prime reason they wish to capture her. A girl steps away from immortality is a prize anywhere." Alaude spoke up.<em>

"_Are all those scars from attacks?" Asari asked sadly, "And she feels the pain all the same."_

"_They should be punished to the extreme for hurting a lady so severely!" Knuckle shouted._

"_We'll have to take extra care in protecting her now, at any rate" G said, surprisingly not against the idea. They stared at him and he spluttered, "What!"_

"_You're not against the idea, G? Usually you hate stuff like this."_

"_I didn't know you had warmed up to her so much."_

"_He doesn't even have a cigarette in his mouth like usual."_

"_Shut up!" G shouted indignantly, "She's useful, that's all, okay? And I just didn't feel like smoking right now!"_

_Flavia stirred from where she had fallen asleep on the sofa and Alaude shut them up with a glare. Blinking eyes open wearily, she sat up and mumbled, "I apologize Signore, I fell asleep." Looking up, she let out a tiny shriek when she realized that practically all of the guardians were there. They laughed and chatted with her comfortably._

_The door burst open and a man stumbled in, "Signore Giotto! The mansion where Lady Elena is staying…it has been attacked! Signore Daemon is already there, but he needs assistance immediately!"_

_The guardians sprang into action, grabbing their weapons and racing out the door, Flavia steps behind them, worried about her friend. By the time they had arrived at the mansion however, it was already gone, a pile of rubble and ash left in its place. As they picked their way through the destruction, they heard a soft crooning. Daemon was holding a woman in his arms as he murmured things to her softly. It was Elena; they had been too late._

_Tears sprung into her eyes at the thought of her best friend dead and a soft sniffle escaped her. It was then that Daemon turned to look at them, his eyes dark. "Why did you bring that bitch?" he said in a low voice._

"_What…? Oi Daemon, we understand you're upset, but speaking that way…"_

_The mist guardian ignored them all, his eyes focused only on the girl. "Bring her back you Vindice bitch…you betrayed us and killed her…BRING HER BACK!" He suddenly roared, lunging at her. _

_Asari and Knuckle grabbed him, holding him back, as G asked, "What the hell are you talking about? What does she have to do with Vindice?"_

"_She's one of them! She has the same powers as they do! That…bitch!"_

* * *

><p><em>Flavia ran as fast as she could, panting and gasping, tears pouring down her face. She couldn't stay in that mansion any longer; she was a murderer, this power that had come from nowhere would hurt the people she cared about. Behind her she could hear frantic yells and footsteps as they chased her down like a wild animal. <em>

_Someone grabbed her arm and she screamed, "NO!" flailing and struggling furiously. But the person refused to let go; in fact his grip only tightened._

"_Look at me and calm down or I will arrest you." A familiar voice growled._

_Still shaking, she blinked her tears away and caught sight of Alaude. Immediately, she broke down again, and tried to free herself from his grasp. "Signore Alaude, I killed him! I did not mean to, nor do I know how I did it, but I killed him! I can't go back there!"_

_To her shock, she was pulled into a warm embrace and the man stroked her hair while murmuring, "He is not dead, just injured. And you are not to blame. Now calm down."_

_She looked up at him, "He's…not dead?"_

_The cloud guardian shook his head and something in her seemed to settle down. Suddenly, he grabbed her face and pulled it close to his. "When did your eyes turn yellow?"_

"_Yellow…? They're green…or they should be…?"_

* * *

><p>"<em>As one of the Vindice, could you please explain this phenomenon to us?" Giotto asked calmly.<em>

"_How rare for the boss of the young Vongola family to seek me out. What is it you need?"_

_Giotto gestured at Flavia who was standing shakily at Alaude's side. "One of my companions has developed a sudden new power."_

_The man swept forward towards where she was standing. Alaude gave a threatening growl, but Flavia shook her head reassuringly and turned to face the man. The two examined each other. The man's face was wrapped in bandages, leaving only his yellow eyes visible. A black cloak covered the rest of him, and a top hat wrapped in bandages as well sat atop the man's messy locks. In his hand, he carried a thick chain that seemed to float around him._

"_She is to become one of us" the man finally said._

_Giotto frowned, "Could you explain that a little more in detail? As far as we know, Flavia never had any ties to the mafia before she met Daemon."_

_The man nodded, "That is true. She was kept in the dark about everything and lived a peaceful life, as she should have. However one does not become a Vindice guard on innocence. She had to be introduced to our world eventually. We simply set off a series of events that would trigger this event, although it was of her own accord to become so involved."_

"_Are you saying that you planned all of this?" Daemon asked sharply._

_The man fixed his frighteningly yellow eyes on the illusionist, "Daemon Spade, we did not plan the death of Elena as you may think. She was a casualty."_

"_You think I can accept that? Because of you…because of you, Elena is dead!" Daemon shouted._

"_It is a shame but it is how things were meant to be." He then returned his attention to Flavia. "You have discovered your powers, have you not?"_

_Flavia nodded numbly before bringing up a hand and summoning a small ball of black flames. "Train yourself. We will come for you when you are ready." With that, he disappeared in a wall of mist._

* * *

><p><em>It was clear that something had changed in Daemon. While he pretended to be the same man he was before, something in him had broken at the loss of Elena. He no longer spent his spare time amusing himself by bothering the guardians or chatting casually with Flavia. In fact, he avoided all contact with the girl. If unbothered, he would lock himself in his room for hours on end.<em>

_Flavia on the other hand had become much more quiet than before. While she had never spoken much before, now she was deathly quiet unless directly addressed. It seemed that the new revelation of her future fate as well as the death of Elena had struck her hard._

_It was also apparent that Daemon was up to something. But what it was, they would not discover until much later when Shimon Cozart's betrayal had been revealed and thwarted._

* * *

><p>"…<em>Fine… But I want you to swear something to me. That as long as the Vongola exists, the Shimon will always be there in the shadows supporting us…"<em>

_Cozart smiled, "I see. In that case, I swear. The Shimon family feels no resentment or bitterness towards the Vongola family for this incident. No matter whatever happens, from now until the end of time, our families will always be close."_

"_Yeah."_

_G and Flavia bowed their heads in reverence for the oath taken. _

"_You've said the words. Now I must uphold the mafia law. Giotto-kun and Cozart-kun."_

"_It's him! Vindice!" Cozart exclaimed._

"_Or…should I call you Bermuda von Vichtenstein?" Giotto asked, his eyes narrowed._

_At the name, G pushed Flavia back and took a defensive stance in front of her. "What do you bastards want?"_

"_We are here only to witness your oaths so that they may be enforced in the future. And," the man's eyes slid over to the girl standing, "of course to check on our newest acolyte."_

"_You can't have her!" G snarled._

_The man looked away, bored, "We have no intention of taking her now when the mere sight of blood makes her shake in fear. We will wait for when her eyes have turned completely yellow. That will be when we know she is ready."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Daemon…are you feeling better?" Giotto asked softly.<em>

_The man smiled mockingly at the Vongola leader, "And why would our degenerate leader care so deeply?"_

"_You bastard! Giotto's only asking out of concern!" G shouted. He was still smarting at the idea that although Daemon had betrayed them, they would continue as if nothing had happened at all._

_The mist guardian ignored him and then said, "And you my dear, how are you after all of this?"_

_Shocked at being addressed by the illusionist for the first time since Elena's death, Flavia didn't respond for a moment. When she did, her voice was somber, "I don't know how to answer that Signore Daemon."_

_The man's face twisted angrily, "Elena was sacrificed so that your path may be trouble-free. An easy life; is it so difficult to say what you are feeling?"_

_Blinking back tears, she replied, "Had I a choice in this matter, I would have preferred that no one were sacrificed at all. It is unfair that Elena had to die for something like this."_

_Daemon laughed wildly, "Something like this? You have gained an incredible power! Have you never thought that it might be used for the Vongola? Should you not even now be on missions, fighting so that Elena's death was not in vain?"_

"_Daemon! You should not say such things!" Asari interrupted. "Flavia has been just as affected by this as you have."_

_Alaude growled and dragged the girl out of the dining room. But the seed had already been planted. "Signore Alaude, is there something I could do to help during missions?"_

"_You are not here to fight. You need to do nothing."_

"_But what Signore Daemon said is true! I have a power that I can use to help the Vongola. Isn't that what Elena would have wanted? For me to help the famiglia in any way I could?"_

* * *

><p>"<em>G, get back!" Flavia shouted as she focused her power. The storm guardian threw himself backwards and a second later, the area in front of him exploded, tearing apart men. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was a pile of limbs and blood. She turned away, gagging as the smell of blood and death overwhelmed her.<em>

_She tried not to breathe through her nose and closed her eyes. That didn't stop her from shaking however, and G uncertainly rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. He stared at the destruction. This power was truly frightening; if it were to fall in the wrong hands, they would all be in serious danger._

_After they got back to the mansion, Flavia immediately locked herself in her room, not even going down to eat with the rest of the guardians as she usually did. When she hadn't appeared for breakfast the next day either, the guardians got worried._

"_Do you think she's okay up there? The first time is hard, isn't it?" Asari asked._

"_She probably won't answer even if we try to talk to her." G said, looking away._

"_G, you were there with her. How did she seem at the time?" Giotto interjected. _

"_She was…scared. As she should be. It was pretty bad, Giotto. That kind of power…shouldn't have been forced into the hands of an innocent like her."_

_Daemon smiled and excused himself a little while later as the guardians continued discussing the girl. He made his way up to the girl's room and slipped into her room as an illusion. She was curled up on the floor, eyes red from crying. He approached her, "Was your first time killing everything you imagined it to be?"_

_She jerked up at his voice and upon seeing who it was, said numbly, "I don't know how you can speak of it so lightly."_

"_Nufufufu as a future Vindice guard, I imagine such things will become common-place to you."_

"_I didn't ask to become a Vindice guard, nor did I ask to be part of this world, Signore Daemon. I can only hope that I don't turn into a monster after all this death.""_

_Daemon smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, "That is just what I would have you become. A monster that lives only to kill for the future of the strongest Vongola."_

_She stared at him in horror. "Signore-"_

"_It is the least you can do for Elena, is it not?" He asked, speaking the magic words. The blank look on her face told him everything and he left, leaving her to her thoughts._

_And so, the girl changed. With a hardened exterior, she locked away her own emotions and lived only to kill. It was the least she could do for Elena after all. And all the while, Daemon looked on, a savage glint in his eyes. He would have this girl suffer as much as possible for Elena's ideal Vongola._

_The guardians could only look on sadly as the bright girl they had once known became a deadly assassin. Although she kept her feelings locked away tightly, it was obvious to everyone but her that she was suffering deeply. But they had no idea how to help her._

* * *

><p><em>She fought with the ferocity of half starved lions defending their prey. And every time a man fell, her eyes changed a little more. It was a bitter feeling. Despite her wish to walk together with everyone, the stronger she became, the farther away she got. Nevertheless, she would continue to fight for the famiglia and when the time came for her to have to leave, she would do so honorably with her head held high. <em>

_There was just one thing that was making her hesitate. Alaude. At first, she had been a little wary of the man due to his cold personality; as time had gone by however, she had seen many different sides of the elusive cloud guardian. And now whenever she was near him, her heart fluttered rapidly, sometimes making her incapable of even normal speech._

_This was one of those times. After the battle, surrounded by the bodies of dead men, Alaude had tilted her head in his direction, staring intensely into her eyes. They were already almost completely yellow, and he knew she didn't have much time left. So without thinking, the man had leaned in and kissed her. She of course had responded automatically, all her repressed feelings rushing to the surface in an instant._

_And then she pulled away quickly, covering her mouth with her hand. She couldn't do this. Loving him had nothing to do with the situation. She was about to forced to join the Vindice; she couldn't do something so unfair. "I will come for you when it all ends." The man said quietly._

"_Wha…?"_

"_When the Vindice allow you to leave, I will come for you. If you do not remember me by then, or if you have forgotten your feelings for me, I will arrest you."_

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><p><em>She couldn't go back. She could never see Alaude again, nor any of the other guardians who had become her close friends. This was the end of her normal life. She wouldn't turn back. <em>"I'm not done with you. I will find you no matter where you are." _ She remembered the words Daemon had spoken to her with a shudder._

_So turning her back on her friends, she ventured into the darkness. Perhaps in another life, she thought briefly._

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><p>Author's Note:<p>

I feel like this chapter wasn't as good as the previous one but it's the best I could do haha. So...Flavia/Jade's past is completely revealed now. What do you think? Is Daemon justified in his method of revenge? (Well, to be honest, I never thought Elena was a good reason for him to take revenge in the first place so adding this doesn't really change much I guess haha).

I am crying at what I did to Alaude and Hibari...I really am, but I thought it was somewhat important? Because Alaude is loyal to a fault when it comes to this sort of thing, his trust in Flavia would no doubt affect the other guardians as well. So it makes more sense for them to be so trusting and open to her despite everything she's been through.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, don't be afraid to ask and mention them. I have everything and how it works stored in my head, but it's much more difficult getting it down on Microsoft Word :P And not everything comes out the way I meant it to.

Please read and review~


	18. Chapter 18: Her Final Fight

A quick note so that no one's confused: The flashbacks (Jade/Flavia's past) have ended. The chapter starts back where chapter 15 ended.

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><p>"Ahh! Mukuro!"<p>

"Well look here. One brilliant Mafioso after the other."

"Ah! Katou Julie has fallen!"

"It would seem as though we've won the battle of the guardians." Reborn said.

"Of course." Mukuro smiled.

"But…Katou Julie was Daemon Spade, right?" Gokudera said slowly.

"Which means…Daemon Spade...is defeated?"

"Kufufu that shouldn't be surprising." Mukuro said calmly, "As my enemy, I couldn't allow him to remain in this world."

"Couldn't allow…?" Gokudera repeated.

Yamamoto grinned "You took care of him for us pretty easily."

"Amazing…as I've always thought, you're incredibly powerful!" Tsuna gasped.

At that moment a tonfa went flying through the air at the illusionist who quickly deflected it with his own weapon. The weapon went clattering on the floor. "I was considering biting you to death" Hibari said, bored, "But now that you've expended all that energy fighting, it wouldn't even be a challenge."

"Kufufu Hibari Kyouya. I'll be your opponent any time you like." Mukuro said indulgently.

"Your reaction time is down. If we fought now, it wouldn't be any fun."

"I understand what you're saying." His eyes spotted Jade at that moment and he broke off. "My dear, it seems as if that despicable mafia has tainted you once again."

They were all surprised when she went running towards the man to hug him. Mukuro, himself, was taken aback. "Oya what is this?"

"Thank you…thank you so much…" she whispered fiercely.

The illusionist smiled, his expression softening, "You've endured for quite awhile, my dear."

The remaining tonfa that Hibari possessed went flying at the man who quickly pulled Jade out of harm's way. "Rokudo Mukuro, if you do not leave, I will bite you to death right here."

Chuckling, Mukuro replied, "In that case, I'll accept your offer and take some time to rest. Until the day comes when I take your body, I leave Chrome to you, Sawada Tsunayoshi." He added as an afterthought, "Take care of my dear as well" before his real illusion faded away.

Tsuna dove forwards to catch Chrome who woke suddenly, "Boss?"

"Chrome! Are you okay?"

"Where's Mukuro-sama?" she asked urgently.

"Huh…? He took out Daemon a minute ago and then left your body to return to his own."

"Mukuro-sama took out Daemon Spade…?"

"Yeah! Without breaking a sweat or getting scratched!" Tsuna said cheerfully, "He's definitely powerful!"

The girl smiled, a look of peace replacing the urgency she had earlier. Touching the earring she now wore, she murmured, "Mukuro-sama…I'm glad."

As they started chattering excitedly, Chrome's box weapon took flight and spoke, "Strange…" They all stared at it. "This is troubling…"

"Ah…that voice…this feeling…it can't be…"

"Mukuro-sama!"

"A lot of power was expended in that last battle, so for now it's taking all of my strength to just possess Mukurowl..."

"Mukuro…what's going?" Tsuna asked.

"There's trouble. My body is still in the Vindice's prison…but my soul can't return to it…"

"Eh? What do you mean, Mukuro?"

"Right as I was on the verge of returning to my body…I was blocked."

Behind them, they heard a groan and Katou Julie slowly got up. Wide eyed, they turned to stare at him. "You bastard, you're still alive!"

"That means…Daemon Spade's inside of you!"

"Huh?" the man asked, completely confused, "What are you guys talking about? What the heck is going on?"

"He's different" Mukurowl said.

"That's right…he's no longer Daemon Spade…"

"It would appear Katou Julie is free of Daemon's spell. Thought something's not right…the battle has ended, but Vindice hasn't appeared." Reborn said.

"Y-you're right…" Tsuna mused, "They've appeared immediately after every other battle so why not now? Does this mean the battle isn't over yet?"

"There's never been a case of this happening before, and I hadn't even considered it, but…if you think about it, there's only one possible reason." Outraged, he continued, "While my soul was possessing Chrome, my body became an empty vessel, and he entered it!"

"What? Your body's been taken over? Who could do such a thing?"

"There's only one man I can think of who could steal my body and make it his own. Daemon Spade!"

Jade felt her knees go weak, fear clawing at her once more. Of course he wasn't gone. There was no way he would be killed so easily. That man who had come through generations of men to grab hold of his desires. But then she shook her head. After everything she had learned about herself, how could she still be scared of him? He was nothing more than a persistent ghost who needed to be taught a lesson.

"He first got his hands on Chrome to lure my soul out of my body that is imprisoned in Vindice's prison. And then he intentionally lost our duel so that he could take over my now empty body before I could."

"He…intentionally lost?"

"But for an illusionist to have their body stolen by another illusionist while possessing someone…this is the first time I've heard of this happening." Reborn said grimly.

"Me, as well. Even without all the specific conditions necessary for it to work. It's an exceptionally difficult technique, on top of that, he's only just acquired it."

Chrome thought for a moment before speaking, "Daemon Spade had said he was 'waiting for the perfect moment' with the fully awakened Shimon Ring greatly increasing his power, he was able to confidently go into battle with Mukuro-sama…"

"The awakened Shimon ring…that's right…" the owl turned to look at Jade, "And not just that. There's another power that he'll be able to grasp soon if he times everything right."

Jade's eyes widened. That was right. The reason that man had tortured her for so long was all so he could obtain the power she held. And now that he had accomplished everything else he needed to before he could remold the Vongola family, all that was left was her. Her face rapidly paled.

At that moment, a familiar man dressed in black robes appeared before them. "Vindice! Why are they appearing now?"

"So they really are coming to take Julie away. He lost after all."

The newly revived man gaped, "What?"

"Nay. That needs to be set aside. An emergency situation has risen there. Rokudou Mukuro's possessed body has gone berserk. It's destroying our prison."

"So then it's Daemon Spade with Mukuro's stolen body!"

"Indeed. Daemon Spade has acquired Rokudo Mukuro's body and has broken out of his confines. It's only a matter of time before a jailbreak occurs."

"J…jail break? Is that even possible? Even Mukuro couldn't do that!"

"Daemon Spade would come here first to eradicate you, the future generation of Vongola. We could handle the situation with our power, but that's something we'd like to avoid. You should be the ones to deal with Daemon Spade. Long ago and even now, Daemon Spade was and is a member of the Vongola family. What has driven him all the way to his point is his own duty to the Vongola."

"You're entrusting an escaped prisoner to someone other than yourselves? That's not like you at all." Reborn said.

"Silence, Arcobaleno." The man turned to glance at Jade. "It is not entirely out of our hands. We are merely giving an acolyte a chance to prove her worth."

They all turned to look at Jade in confusion. The girl reassured them with a small smile, and then spoke up, "Am I allowed to use my power in this case?"

"You know well the consequences of using our power, however we will not stop you."

She nodded quietly and Tsuna interrupted, "Are you making Aiko-chan fight? Why?"

"It is something that was decided long before you were born, candidate for the tenth Vongola boss, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Well, as long as she doesn't over-exert herself…" he mumbled to himself. "But…now that this is the case…the battle between the Vongola and the Shimon is negated. Please release everyone of the Vongola and Shimon from your prison!"

"And what about you, Kozato Enma?"

"I want the same thing!"

"That look…just like Giotto and Cozart back then…does this mean your oath to each other has made it all the way to the generation…?" the man mused to himself. "Very well. If you defeat Daemon, I will release your family members from our prison."

"But, Tenth! We can't trust these guys!" Gokudera said, distrustfully.

Another man appeared before them, "We will keep our promise."

"Ahh!"

"It's him!"

"The man from the past memories who was witness to Primo and Cozart's oath!"

"Who the heck is he?"

"An avenger, shining with the same radiance as Bermuda." He would say nothing more on the subject, instead turning to Jade. "It is time for you to learn how to properly use your powers."

He walked over to the girl who bowed politely, remembering his status from her returned memories. They seemed to stare at each other in silence for a moment before the man returned to the rest of the Vindice.

"Here he comes" he said.

Behind them a burst of light came flying at them. At the same time, Jade felt a burning around her neck. She glanced down in horror and saw that the collar that had been hidden for so long was glowing brightly. The illusion must have been broken the second she stepped onto the island due to Daemon's barrier, but she hadn't even noticed! Slowly she felt all the energy being sucked out of her. She collapsed on the ground just as Gokudera and Yamamoto brought their weapons up to defend against the fierce wave of flames. The man from the Vindice murmured to himself behind them, "So, you have finally obtained the same attribute we use…"

"Pleased to meet you" From the shadows, a man emerged. "Well then, shall we end this?" The man smiled, "Your world, that is." It was Rokudo Mukuro's body; a person they all knew very well. But standing in front of them was not Mukuro; this was Daemon Spade!

"How could you lie to all of Shimon…to me…HOW COULD YOU?" Enma roared.

The man merely laughed and the guardians prepared for battle. Before they could do more than raise their weapons however, Chrome jumped in front of them. "Boss, wait! That's Mukuro-sama's body! Don't attack it!"

Mukuro flew over and landed on the girl's head. "Forget that. This matter is on a whole other level. By acquiring my body, that man has gotten his hands on an incredible power far exceeding his previous or my own. He's no longer human. Even if everyone here combined all their strength together, I still don't know if we'd be a match for him. He's a monster." The owl fixed Tsuna with a fierce look, trying to make him understand just how important this was.

They took defensive positions again and Daemon spoke again, "Let us begin, shall we?" In the blink of an eye he was standing right in front of them, holding up a single card. There was an explosion and when the smoke cleared, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Lambo, and Julie Katou were no longer there.

Daemon explained his little illusionary world trick to them before continuing with his twisted logic. "Currently, the tenth candidate to the Vongola family has led it down a path of corruption and degradation. My goal is to take the story of stopping that tenth generation and turn it into a legend to be passed down to future generations of the Vongola. That's why" his expression darkened, "there have to be story tellers. So that they can witness the tragic final moments of Sawada Tsunayoshi and pass the story on."

At that moment, Hibari's weapon shot forward at the man and they engaged in battle. Jade watched weakly from where she was on the ground. Just as they thought they had gained the upper hand, Daemon used a "maximum sunshine counter" with his copycat Vongola and Shimon gear against the prefect who went flying back into a different dimensional space. The wounds on the man then healed themselves quickly. Recognizing the trait, she forced herself up and shouted, "How did you get that power?"

The man she had feared for so long turned his attention towards her and smiled. The look on his face had her terrified but she stood her ground firmly. "Nufufu how long I have waited for this moment, when I would be able to crush you, you bitch." He laughed loudly, "How long I've wanted to tear you apart limb from limb because of your audacity to resist me! Our past together, you have remembered it at last, have you not? Good. Otherwise, destroying you would not be as satisfying!"

Something was shoved into her hands and she glanced at Reborn in surprise. "Do what you have to" he said, fedora covering his face.

She looked at the weapons in her hands. Her box weapon, rings, and sai were all there. She slipped the rings on and lit her flame, Heiwa bursting out of his box. Then gripping her sai firmly, she turned to face the man of her nightmares. "I'll beat you" she said vehemently.

Daemon charged at her, flames gathering at his fingertips. She felt everything around her fade out as she focused on only the opponent in front of her. Lightning flames shot at her and she dodged out of the way, running towards the man. Covering her sai with rain flames, she attacked him fiercely. Tonfas met her sai and a hedgehog box weapon soared towards her. Heiwa stomped his hooves, covering the area in rain flames and slowing the approach of the box weapon. Whirling around, Jade hooked her sai around one of the tonfas the man held and wrenched it out of his grasp, kicking it behind her. "How dare you use Hibari-san's weapon?" she hissed.

He laughed, "My, have you developed a crush on the cloud guardian?" His eyes hardened, "Just like back then." Distracted by his comment, she couldn't prevent the dynamite from exploding around her. Throwing up a wall of rain flames in protection, she flung herself back. The man however followed, his scythe at her throat. "I should've made sure I killed you back then!" he roared. "Then none of this would have had to happen!"

She threw a sai at his face and in the moment of distraction, pushed the scythe away from her. But now the man was truly pissed off, all the memories of the past having come back to haunt him. At his fingertips, a small flame flickered into life, slowly growing. She stared at it in confusion and then sudden realization shot through her. Or maybe that was the flame that had gone straight through her stomach. Either way, she finally knew what the collar around her neck was for. The man was sucking her flames away and taking them for himself. She tried to summon her own black flames but they were nowhere to be found. He laughed, "They're mine now, you bitch! I've finally got my hands on this power and now no one can defeat me!"

"That's not possible! That's my flame! You can't have it!" She shrieked, her voice rising in desperation, "Give it back!" She wasn't sure why she wanted it back, after all, with it she would be drawn into a dark world; but she knew that she couldn't let him take it from her.

The ground around her exploded as he focused his power on her and she flung herself out of the way. Explosions and laughter filled her senses and all she could think was that this was hell. But then a calm voice entered her head. _You have our power. There is always that. Have you forgotten even that?_

They were the same words that had saved her once before. Looking deep within herself, she found it. The small flicker of a flame that she had been repressing up until now. Embracing that flame would mean that she would have to let go of everything else and be swept up into insanity, but if that meant the defeat of the man named Daemon Spade, then she would willingly take that step. Reaching out a metaphorical hand, she grasped the flame and felt it explode into life, the power flowing through her veins.

Her eyes opened as the scythe settled on her neck once more and she glared at the man. "Any last words, you bitch?"

"Die." The voice that came out of the girl was not her voice. It was deep and cold and cruel. Daemon exploded into a ball of black flames. Reeling back in pain, he healed his wounds again, giving Jade enough time to get back up on her feet. He was still recovering when she flung herself at him, bare hands tearing at his face, her flame of death burning brightly around them.

She laughed maniacally as she attacked the man, pummeling him with all her rage. The flames rose around them and she cackled, "DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!"

Daemon stumbled back, trying to fend off the bloodthirsty girl. Lightning flames sparked into life around him and he electrocuted her with all his might. Her skin turned darker as she was literally cooked inside out but her healing powers kicked into effect at the same time. Still giggling insanely, she tore at the man's flesh with bloody nails. He seemed to have enough however, because he tore her off and flung her away from him. "How long will you get in my way, you eyesore?" He snarled before punching her with his charged sun guardian's gear.

The wounds healed themselves and she lurched back onto her feet, her eyes burning with bloodlust. She flung a large black flame at him, but he intercepted with his own. The resulting blast sent her flying back. She got up again wearily, her body still healing itself, and attempted to throw herself back into battle. But her already weak body had reached its limit and her legs gave way. She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

Or she should have been. But for some inexplicable reason, her body rose up again. This time, her eyes were completely blank, her face expressionless, as she ran at the man. He threw her back once more, and upon impact with the ground, she seemed to wake up. Gasping as she suddenly realized how much pain she was in, she nevertheless forced herself onto her feet. She had to end it herself; with this flame that she hated, but couldn't give up all the same. The black flames surrounded the man in her mind's eye, and then they exploded, taking Daemon with them. "That should have done it right?" she thought wearily before passing out.

"_Signore Alaude, I am leaving now." Opal bowed, eyes filled with tears._

"_Do not speak" the man growled, turning away from her._

_Bowing again, she turned to join the Vindice that were waiting for her. Suddenly, the man grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "If you die, I'll arrest you." He muttered fiercely._

_A watery laugh broke out of her and she hugged him back, "Signore Alaude, thank you for everything. Thank you…and…"_

_Before she could get the words out, the man's lips were already on hers in a heated kiss that left her breathless and wanting more. He ran his fingers through her hair one more time before letting her go. Closing her eyes, she walked away, knowing that it was the last time she would ever see the man._

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><p>Author's Note:<p>

Oh my gosh, thank you so much everyone! I just went over 100 reviews for the first time! Thank you! ~bursts into tears~

This story is nearing its end with just one chapter left after this! Look forward to the ending!

Also, a couple of people have been asking me, so I'd like to clear things up just in case. Jade is Flavia reincarnated, but she doesn't remember any of her past life's memories until the Vindice show her. Flavia gains her powers after she's been introduced to the mafia, but Jade was pretty much already part of the mafia (because Daemon Spade tracked her down and captured her) so she has her powers already. The powers are the black mysterious eighth property flame mentioned in the manga. The flames are used by the Vindice so this power is actually all canon haha. Basically the flame can cause explosions and form little teleportation portals (although neither Jade nor Flavia ever use this second power). And those who possess the flame heal more rapidly than normal (I can't be sure if that's made up or not since Daemon Spade in the manga heals himself when he's in Mukuro's body).

Whoa…that was long. Anyways, I hope that clears most things up, and if you have any more questions, feel free to PM me or leave a review. ^_^

Please read and review~


	19. Chapter 19: Promise

There was a terrifying presence near her, forcing her awake. Her eyes slowly pried themselves open and what she saw had her shaking violently. It was the remnants of Daemon Spade in Mukuro's body. It was now deformed past the point of being recognizable. But still, the man laughed, "Well then, I'll show you my final trump card!"

"You're pitiful Daemon" a stern voice said. She looked over. Was that Tsuna? "Your trump card is running away. It's subtle, but the flames feel the same as when you escaped from prison. There's none of the seven attributes of the sky or desert. That flame is the same as the Vindice's. Using Aiko-chan's flame, you're planning to cross over into spatial void, by blasting an opening in the flame and using it to escape once again."

"Well detected" the monster replied, "That's it exactly. This grand flame has an incredible power that surpasses even the sky and desert. An eight attribute of flame."

A deep chilling voice said, "Daemon Spade. Reveal anything further and you will not be forgiven." The Vindice, Bermuda, was still there. How long had she been unconscious for? More importantly, why was Daemon still alive? She thought her blow had been the finishing one.

"That's right…the Vindice were annoyingly involved with the eighth attribute flame. You plan on having your code bind even what is said."

"The eighth attribute flame brings with it an immense burden." The man's eyes flickered over to Jade's. The girl was struggling to get up.

"Ah, that's fine. As long as I'm able to get away from here now." He prepared to separate his spirit from Mukuro's body, but Tsuna held a hand up and the body slammed into the ground underneath him, pinned there by an incredibly strong gravitational force. But then, for some inexplicable reason, Tsuna stopped.

"Let's stop. This is enough. With the beating you've had, all that you've lost is beyond repair. Please quietly surrender and atone for your sins."

Daemon rose up, his voice dark, "You're going to regret detaining me!"

It seemed that the two were about to go at full power at one another and end it all. They charged at each other and as Tsuna punched him, Daemon's spirit slipped out of Mukuro's body with a laugh, "To be blinded by the material world like this, you're still far too naïve! You're focusing on such a small victory. You can have Mukuro's body!" A black haze appeared in front of the man and he shouted, "I will survive!"

Daemon reached for the black hole he had created when suddenly it disappeared. A bandaged hand was clutching the flames tightly before dully reciting, "Entities without a human body are not permitted to use the eighth attribute flame. That is the law."

"You bitch! Even now, you continue to get in my way!" The man roared. Without a body and no other escape route in sight, Daemon offered no resistance as Tsuna overwhelmed him with his attack. A small pocket watch clattered to the ground where the man had been. Tsuna opened it hesitantly, discovering a picture of the first generation guardians, as well as two women. "What's in that pocket watch, Tsuna?" Reborn asked.

"An…old photograph. A picture of Daemon together with the Primo famiglia…Daemon is next to a woman. A beautiful woman…"

"Fufu…exquisite, isn't she…?" Daemon spoke softly, his strength draining from him rapidly. "That's Elena. Elena…was the light that forever brightened our lives…when Flavia came into our lives because of a mistake I made…Elena was the first one to accept her…"

"Flavia?"

"The other woman in the picture. The one who is now reincarnated as Aiko Hisui, or Jade, whichever you prefer to call her."

"Reincarnated?"

"Either way, it's a strange picture." Reborn said, "Daemon is smiling with his hated Primo famiglia. However, this is his most precious possession."

"I didn't rise up in rebellion against Primo right from the start. Elena and I loved the family more than anything back then."

"Huh? Then…why…?"

"I will explain it…I was an aristocrat." His voice took on a dreamy quality. "However, I was disgusted by the degenerate aristocracy. I felt that, no matter what their position in life was, highly capable people should be the backbone of society. Elena, a duke's daughter, shared my ideals. She was like the sun. Her smile was like the moon that cleansed my worries. One day, Elena introduced me to a man that had immense respect from the common people and felt I should build a relationship with him. I loved her, so I couldn't go against her suggestion. I joined the Vongola famiglia. Back then, everything with the Vongola was perfect…we would exhaust ourselves protecting the people. Aristocrats, bandits, politicians, and even the police from time to time…we were vigilant against anyone who was corrupt. Even I had passion for that Vongola famiglia, and contributed all I could. Elena loved me even more for it. However, that time of joy would not last for very long. Primo wanted to change to peaceful ways, and our power to fight dwindled away. And as I expected, we became complacent, and our territory was attacked. Rival famiglias started targeting us. I had just taken care of a rival group when I was spotted by Flavia Giordano. Deciding she was a threat, I killed her. But a few days later, I spotted her, going about life as merrily as if nothing had happened. Curious, I followed her…only to discover that another famiglia was following her. So as the Vongola, we offered our protection to her. She joined us, becoming a comrade…until the day Elena was killed…" Daemon's eyes filled with tears.

"She had been called to the main mansion at the last minute and Elena was left alone at her mansion when it was attacked. I arrived in time too late to save her. And as they left, the rival famiglia told me that if we didn't want any more casualties, that we should hand over the girl with the healing properties and the relationship to the Vindice. It was her fault that Elena was killed! But Elena didn't think so; she told me to continue protecting the weak with the Vongola. So I decided that for Elena, I would recreate the Vongola to become the strongest in the world, so that just hearing the name would make people tremble!"

Tsuna spoke softly. "But…would Elena have liked that kind of Vongola, I wonder…?"

"What…?"

"Using power and money to control people through fear…you don't even take the feelings of the weak into consideration."

"What? Sawada Tsunayoshi! You think you can understand Elena's feelings?" Daemon yelled desperately even as his body was fading away.

"Elena's feelings…" Tsuna clutched his heart. "I understand them."

"Flavia's feelings as well" Jade whispered. "She did not hate you. She was thankful that you had given her a purpose to her life. And she was so sorry. So regretful that her existence had taken someone beloved from you."

"Wh…what did you say…?"

"Elena and Flavia were…grateful for you… I feel it with the Vongola's hyper intuition…Elena-san wants to say 'thank you' for trying your hardest to keep on living, without forgetting about who it is you truly are."

As the last of Daemon faded away, he reached out for the picture, tears spilling out of his eyes, "Elena…I couldn't save you…forgive me…"

"You have lived too long Daemon. Don't worry, you're returning to your beloved Elena. You can entrust Vongola to Tsuna. Daemon should know from his own experience." Reborn smiled, "Vongola's tenth candidate definitely has some pitiful weaknesses, but it's nothing to be worried about, since he's now weak."

"Fu…how many decades have it been since I felt sleepy…and listened to Elena's feelings…? Flavia's true feelings as well… I blamed everything on her unjustly… The conflict has been solved at last…" he gave a wry smile, "Even though this was…following Sawada Tsunayoshi's awful script…Show me your method of doing things, Sawada Tsunayoshi…However, if you do anything to bring shame on our name, I won't forgive you…Since this is Elena's beloved Vongola."

And with that last whispered promise, he was gone.

At that moment, the rest were freed from Daemon's illusionary world, and they came rushing towards Tsuna. All of them were crying and laughing, as they reunited as friends once more.

"_Listen. Vongola and Shimon. I must inform you of the end."_

"The eighth key?"

"_That's right. Think of it as your reward for defeating Daemon. I'll tell you about the past right after Giotto and Cozart met."_

What was shown to them was a heartwarming memory of Cozart's family playing cheerfully in the valley that they had hidden away in. Warm, loving, and peaceful, it was the perfect way to end the entire ordeal.

Except it seemed as if it wasn't entirely over. Because when they turned to take Jade back with them, they found the girls in tears, as bandages slowly crept over her body, covering her. _"She has another ten minutes at most before it is time."_

"Hisui…?" Yamamoto said hesitantly.

She turned to smile at him, revealing pure yellow eyes. The time had finally come. He stumbled forward, grabbing her, his eyes were wide with horror. "This…this is all because you had to fight against Daemon Spade…if only we were stronger…you wouldn't have had to…"

She shook her head, "It's not anyone's fault Takeshi. It would have happened eventually. I'm just glad I got to spend so much time with everyone. I'm so glad that I became friends with everyone. And Takeshi, thank you for teaching me so much. I wouldn't be who I am today without you." She wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug, before pulling away to brush away the tears that were pouring down the boy's face.

Giving a sobbing Chrome a tight hug, she whispered, "Stay strong" before sitting down next to Mukuro. "Mukuro, you've always known haven't you?"

The boy had a pained expression on his face. "My dear, you…"

She cut him off, "Thank you for protecting me all those times." She leaned down and kissed his cheek gently. "I…and Flavia, both thank you for shielding me from the worst."

Gokudera and Ryohei were both speechless as she hugged them, Lambo didn't understand what was happening but started crying nevertheless when he saw the bandages start covering even more of the girl. Finally facing Tsuna, Jade pulled him into a hug and stood there for a moment. "Thank you for letting me be part of your family, Tsu-kun."

She turned to look at Hibari who was standing a ways off from everyone. A sudden memory flitted into her head. A memory from her first life as Flavia Giordano.

"_When the Vindice allow you to leave, I will come for you. If you do not remember me by then, or if you have forgotten your feelings for me, I will arrest you."_

Tears welled up in Jade's eyes. She was the reincarnation of Flavia Giordano, who had been in love with Alaude, who may as well have been the same person as Hibari. They certainly acted the same, and were very closely related. But she had forgotten her feelings for the cloud guardian. When she looked at him, she felt admiration and devotion, but it wasn't the same feeling that Flavia had felt.

What was worse, Hibari seemed to have the same feelings as Alaude had had, and now for some inexplicable reason, she was rejecting him. Even though accepting him would mean that after 400 years, the two would finally be reunited, their promise finally fulfilled. It was too cruel, Jade thought. But she couldn't change her feelings.

"Aiko Hisui, do not turn into an herbivore at the last second. Do not make me regret my decision to become infatuated with someone so weak" Hibari said sternly.

"Hibari-san…I'm sorry…" He merely sighed and in a rare moment of softness, placed a hand softly on her head.

"Do not apologize. I regret nothing." he murmured before turning and walking away.

She rubbed the tears out of her eyes and apologized to her spirit and ancestor of sorts. An arm wrapped around her from behind and before she could jerk away, sharp teeth were biting into her neck. She squealed a little at the familiar sensation, "Belphegor! What…?"

And then she stopped. Oh _no._ What was that feeling? What was that fluttery feeling in her stomach? She turned to stare at the self-proclaimed prince. He still had the same blonde hair that covered his eyes, the tiara nestled on top of the messy bush; his grin was as wide as ever; nothing about him had changed. So why was her heart beating so quickly?

He stared at her and she felt a blush creeping up. And then his expression darkened and her heart skipped a beat in fear. Had she done something wrong? "Your eyes…they're…yellow."

She opened her mouth to reply but realized she had nothing to say, so merely nodded sadly. And then intelligently, she asked, "When did you get here…?"

He looked away, frustration brewing, "Mammon felt his illusion being blocked off and requested permission for us to come and save you. Nono agreed." His eyes narrowed when he spotted the bandages snaking up her body, wrapping around and around her.

"_You have 5 minutes until the curse is complete. Use your time wisely."_ The mysterious man spoke.

Biting her lip nervously, she turned to face Bel who was standing behind her, a furious expression masking his handsome features. She stared at him for a moment and then clearing her throat, said, "Well…that's how it is. I have to go with them."

"The Prince refuses to let the peasant go" he growled back.

Tears sprang into her eyes at his words, and she pleaded with him, "Belphegor…_please_. You have to let me go. I don't want to hurt anyone by trying to resist."

He glared at her, "Those peasants aren't taking you from me!"

She grabbed his hand and then with all her courage, leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. As she pulled away, she whispered, "I'm not really theirs. Because I belong to Prince the Ripper, right?"

He snarled, "You'll come back to me?"

Nodding, she fought back the tears that were threatening to spill down her face. It was too cruel. Just as she had realized her love, she was being taken away once again; just as it had happened in her first life.

Bel took a step forward and placing his hand on the back of her head, pulled her mouth to meet his. The lips that met hers were warm and comforting, full of inexpressible emotions. "You _will_ come back to me. Because you're my peasant." Then for good measure, he bent down and bit her neck harshly. Lapping the blood away, he muttered, "Just…don't make the Prince wait for too long."

"Belphegor, I don't really understand emotions very well but I think I lo-"

He quickly covered her mouth with his hand, "Tell me when you come back. I'll be waiting for it."

Understanding the implications behind his words, she nodded. From behind Bel, Squalo called harshly, "Oi brat. You gave him three minutes. You're not saying goodbye to us?"

Jade pulled away reluctantly from Bel and ran over to Squalo and the rest of the Varia. She hugged Lussuria tightly, the man openly sobbing at the loss of his daughter. She also gave both Levi and Xanxus a quick hug, which surprisingly the latter didn't reject. When she came face to face with Squalo however, she could only stare. She wanted to say so many things, thank the swordsman for everything he had done; how he had been the best brother she could've wished for; how she was secretly jealous of his hair. But she could say nothing. Sighing, the man pulled her in for a quick one armed hug and muttered gruffly, "Go give those Vindice bastards hell."

That was the last straw. Hiccuping a little, she broke out into tears. Wailing, she clung to the tall swordsman, "Squalo-nii! I don't want to go! I want to stay here with you!"

All her worries and fears came pouring out for only the swordsman to hear. He held her tightly, unable to say anything. None of them knew anything about what the girl would be facing, but the chances of any of it being pleasant were slim to nothing. There was nothing he could say to comfort her. So he growled fiercely, "We'll be waiting for you here. Don't keep us waiting too long."

It was what Bel had said to her and the words gave her the courage she needed to pull away. She wiped away her tears and gave the man the brightest smile she could muster, before it was Mammon's turn.

Holding onto his cloak soothed her, the familiar texture and material calming her down. "Mammon-tama, I never got a chance to thank you before. But I'm really really _really_ happy that you came and rescued me. And that you gave me a name. I'm so grateful that you gave me a name."

The baby patted her head softly, murmuring to her, "Silly child, this isn't goodbye. We'll be waiting for you when you're free."

The man spoke up, "It is time to leave."

Letting go of the cloak, Jade walked to the man with steady confident steps. Passing by Bel, she whispered, "I'll definitely come back so you have to wait for me." She turned to face her family, Vongola and Varia, and forcing back her tears, beamed brightly. A glimpse of the innocent girl they had all first met flickered before them; and then the bandages slowly covered the rest of her face and the person that was Jade, Aiko Hisui, disappeared.

As she was surrounded by the man's cloak, she didn't look back. The family that was standing there that day would always be there to greet her when she came back. And she most certainly would come back someday.

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><p>Slender hands played with a knife. It was exactly the same as hundreds of other knives he owned, but this one was special. This one had saved the girl he loved.<p>

"Love…when did Prince the Ripper fall in love with a peasant?" he wondered to himself. He chuckled, "Doesn't matter. The Prince can do what he wants."

He stared expectantly out over the hill, waiting for the arrival of the girl who he had chosen. She was hers and she would most certainly come back to him. It was only a matter of time. Settling back, he closed his eyes and waited.

END

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><p>Author's Note:<p>

Well, that's it! Finally the last chapter! And before anyone asks, no I won't be doing a sequel to this one. Despite being heartbroken about it, this is how I had envisioned the ending from the very beginning. Does Jade come back? That's up to you.

I've been hinting about starting a new story for awhile now. The first chapter for that is also up! It's called "Finding Oneself" so if you have time, please read it!

I'd just like to thank everyone for sticking with me through all this time. It really does mean a lot! Thank you so much! ^_^

And as always, please read and review~


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